Spring Greetings from Ireland

26 Feb’11

Good day to all, family and friends,
The sun shine, the skies are blue and spring is in the air!
There is a wind but that is part and parcel of living on an island that is a bit bigger than the Free State!
The birds are singing their hearts out and the daffodils have really moved at great speed during the last week and our 1st tulip will be open in about 2 days!
There is this expectation of great things to happen, the air is clean and we cannot wait for the burst of colour and flowers all around us! It has been a long and difficult winter and every bit of good weather is extremely welcome! Temperatures are rising and the days are wonderfully longer!!!!
It is COUNTING day in Ireland after the Election of the 31st Dóil ( parliament) of the Republic and we hope and pray that the outcome will be good. We are at the bottom of every aspect in financial and political turmoil thinkable and whatever the future brings, it has to be better!
I have been off sick with a most horrific Lower Respiratory Tract Infection caused according to me by an allergy- what the cause may be is still to be figured out!
I am a walking cortisone advert and after 10 days of intensive treatment there is some hope! I only cough now every 90 minutes for 15 minutes and not every 15 minutes for 90 minutes!!!! 2 different courses of antibiotic completed and every possible nebulizer circulated through the alveoli’s!
I was suppose to teach CPR at the hospital but my colleague had to cope all by herself – good experience for her but less in my pocket, we do get paid separately for this service we provide!
Not being at the hospital I have no idea what is happening there and believe that all is on tract!
Gerlof is boasting about his granddaughter but I have to admit that I feel exactly the same about our grandson, there has just not been another one like him!
He had his 1st haircut last weekend and received a certificate with a lock of hair attached! His Oupa was so upset, but his mother declared categorically that her son will not look like a ‘Knackers’ ( traveller) and therefore the hair needed to be trimmed!
He presents you with gums and no teeth at present and his parents fear that he will wake up one morning with a full set of teeth! He moves like lightning –crawling properly for the correct development and say about 20 words! He is just 10 months old! Ready to make life difficult for his surroundings! I personally think children are born more advanced as years ago!
March is approaching and our plans for the new garden layout are still on the books! To be able to achieve perfection we will have to have at least 2 loads of top soil delivered and then the compost worked through and the planting of all the different bi-annual and perennial plants as this will have to be a semi final attempt for our cottage! Wish us well! It will keep Barry busy for a while!
As we walk through the bottom field we came to realization that we do miss the geese terribly and maybe we will get a gander and 2 females...but that is still just talk it brings us back to not being able to leave when we want to and that is the main reason why we got rid of them! Never happy unless miserable!
We also had a very tension full week behind us. Sharon Barry’s niece living a bit longer than us here in Cork with her twin sons notified us on Monday about the severely ill Nicholas. The twins are just 15 + yrs old. He presented with a headache on Sunday evening and went to bed after taking 2 Paracetamols. Woke his mother up at about 2am and said the pain is unbearable! Between Drs and hospitals ? Meningitis diagnosed and when that was excluded test revealed an aneurism with brain haemorrhage- he was severely ill but thanks be to God the Neuro team did the necessary and he is after brain keyhole surgery on his way to recovery!
He is most probably one of the youngest people ever to have had a brain haemorrhage in Ireland. His twin will have to be investigated but we are so thankful that it all turned out satisfactory and although still in hospital is making good progress.
The other good news is: THE ORGAN WILL BE DELIVERED ON MONDAY MORNING!
We plan an inauguration Hymn singing service for early in April in thanksgiving to this wonderful purchase!
On top of that as you know by now tomorrow is the best day of my week and the wonderful expectation of food for the soul is a very comforting one! It will also be the last time I will have to take the keyboard to church! Hallelujah!
Birthdays! Laurel will be a year older tomorrow and Angie the 28th! Happy Birthday to both of you!
The troubles in the North of Africa are very disturbing and with petrol the price it is I wonder what the future holds!
We think of those families in Christchurch whom have been affected by the earth quake- I know that there are cousins living in New Zealand I am just not sure exactly where- we hope and pray that they are all well!
It brings me then to the end of my letter with thanks to all those who did make an effort to write a few lines and tell us about their daily living – I love hearing from you!
For some or other reason I was not able to open the wedding album from the Australian couple! What a pity!
Photos of the children are also most welcome and lovely!
Do take care and stay diligent with security!
Spring greetings from us in Cranleymore!
Barry & Christina