greetings from a very cold Ireland

22 January’11

Good day to all, family and friends,
First of all a re-assurance that you really have to be in my bad books for being removed from the postal service, so stop worrying. Funny that those who do not need to worry does, and the rest could not care! Those are the ones that are gone !
My fingers are red from the cold ,was not thinking and went outside with no gloves on ,drove to town ,and it is not far enough for the car to heat up, as I forgot to do that, as well, switching it on 15 min before we leave and landed now with very cold, half frozen fingers ! We had brilliant sunshine most of the week which do take the chill off but today it is temperature wise somewhat warmer but with no sun it could just as well be -5 instead of 3* indicating that it is still possible to freeze according to my car!
Winter is long and hard this year, the farmers were especially hard hit as the oats died on the fields, not from the snow but from the very low temperature -18. The variety planted is hardened for severe cold but could not withstand the continuous cold weather!
Our beautiful country of green, green hills and fields are brown and withered from the extreme weather, the precious ‘snow drops’ that are usually flowering by now is only starting to push their little heads above the ground! Our daffodils of which there are over 300 seem to struggle as well!
Ireland is in the most awful political turmoil. Our Prime Minister has lost the plot and fell into a(to be very undignified)sewage dam, and the more he fights for breath the further he sinks into the mess. He seems to be of the same calibre as Iddi Amin, dictator No 1, He listens to no-one his skin is as thick as that of a Rhinoceros and he has forgotten what he was suppose to do, to look after the country and every-one else are picking the fruit! Thousands of young people have left the island in pursuing for work and those that stayed behind are paying taxes for them the politicians, to excel in wealth we now pay 2 separate kind of taxes PAYE as well as USC-Universal Social Charge Where it will end only they know! The country is bankrupt, we owe the IMF billions and the politicians have jumped into the fire after dangling carrots, promises that cannot be fulfilled, a health system that is in tatters and we the subject of this unstable country have to pay! I have to say that we have been wonderfully blessed, I can still work and I do earn enough to keep us going and even sometimes able to put a little bit away by buying Prize Bonds which is guaranteed, just a minute little nest egg for the unknown! You cannot dare to save money as it will cost you rather than earn you something!
PF= Patrick Finbarr( here known as Patrick) has his new business now up and going for 1 year and it is just with the Grace of God that they are still going, he works extremely hard and payment for services delivered is slow ,sometime they have to wait 90 days for cash payments, it is very frustrating and soul destroying for a young man to put all he has, physically, mentally into an economy that is so fragile, but we believe and hope that he will pick the fruits one day!
He is the convener and Chairman of a group of South Africans who work and have companies here in Ireland and they had their 1st meeting last night for 2011, 100 people registered for the occasion and that is a great boost for his advertising and marketing!
The biltong business has taken off well by introducing lovely chilli pieces as protein snacks and any one that would like to have a look, the website is now finished and fully operational:”Caveman Super Snacks”
Lukas Swart is in charge and PF owns a share in the project: website:
www.cavemansupersnacks.ie! Our grandson loves biltong and they keep him busy on long journeys with him sucking happily on a chunk! We all devour every piece we can lay our hands on, be sure it does not last long!
Karen , I ’ tasted’ a mouthful of every piece of cake available on your menu and it was as delicious as what it looked! I sincerely hope that it will take off this year! Who-ever lives near please support Karen she lives in Florida Park! The garden looks lovely!
The hospital are now in new hands, we can already see changes and hope that Mark Gordon keep to his promises and that we will ‘one’ day have a state of the art hospital fully operational with MRI scanner and all! He inspects the work on the wards whenever he feels like and visits the nursing home ever so often and unexpectedly! On Thursday 58 patients passed through 4 theatres as well as through the ward where there are only 36 beds. The staff compliment has not increased in fact any-one that left was never replaced and I can assure you this means hard work! The last patients came back from theatre that night at 9.30 pm. That is a long day, also for the theatre staff! Night duty is now just as demanding as day duty as we do everything, there is no helper or carer, you just have to! Come 8am you long for your bed with vengeance and I usually leave the hospital after 8.30 travel 40km home and have to stay awake by singing loudly to gospel Cd’s!
Now by this the time Sam and Emma are most probably husband and wife and just the very best wishes to them!
Birthdays are as follows according to my book! Leandra 24th, Dimitrij 26th, Happy Birthday and I hope that the year will be good!!!
The church has their AGM early next month and I hope that they will approve an amount for the organ or whatever they decide upon, I do not mind but it is a schlep taking the keyboard every Sunday to church. As always tomorrow is the best day of my week and we also have a website up and running! The food for our souls are of the highest quality and we can only thrive on it spiritually!!

I am also very thankful to have heard from Joy in Brisbane that they were safe and living on a hill and were not directly affected by the floods .We are praying for all those that lost family members and all that they own!
Wondering if the good rains in SA has reached the Brak Rivier area, can some-one let me know! That is where Mendel my brother lives!
Barry has been neglected and I have to get Lunch on the table, there-for I wish you all a good week, be careful especially on the roads!
Take care!
Regards from Barry& Christina in a shivering Ireland!
NS Posted several hours later as we left to view an Auction of a very distinguished lady whom the town was named after!