Greetings from Ireland where it snows in Spring

12 March’11
Good day to all, family and friends,
Last week we were ecstatic because spring arrived, today we have to add the following ingredients to spring namely - S N O W!!!!!
It started snowing in Cranleymore at 3 minutes to 9am and is still going strong out there! It is cold, 1°* wet and different! Further up North it has been snowing the greater part of the night and I suppose Scotland is in it too! Wonder about the family in mid England and Exeter?
The daffodils are very brave standing there in the snow with their bright yellow clocks facing the south waiting for the sun!
We have been following the terrible disaster in Japan where the Earthquake and Tsunami brought havoc! I have a friend living in Shizuoka-ken , have not heard any bad news from there and we were very worried about Amanda visiting the Philippines recruiting nurses for their Nursing Homes in Manila. They got the all clear at about 1pm our time yesterday and we were very thankful!
In Ireland the new Government were sworn in on Wednesday and
We can only pray and hope that they will keep their word and be honest! Our new Prime minister, Taoiseach Ende Kenny has a great responsibility and to bring about a change in the economics of this country will take super perseverance and diligent work, cultivating a new species of bankers and financial advisers!
He will be visiting Barak Obama on the 17th, getting ready for a State visit from the Queen and talk us out of the IMF EU monitory deal by hook or by crook!
I have not been back to work as I had a week off, the duty just worked out that way and then I was notified that the hospital had no patients last night and that I will have to leave for last night! I still have accumulated leave from 2010 and it came in handy!
I will thou be working this weekend which means that Joy will have the honours of playing the new organ while I am fast asleep in my bed! Nearly jealous.................. but not really......!!!!
Finbarr and Lukas were due to visit but with the snow and the bad roads we decided rather to SKYPE tomorrow when I get up and enjoy the grandson from a distance! I have to admit it was strange for us, the role that the fathers play in this country, they are just as able as the mothers if not better! He is coping extremely well- pick Lukas up from the day mother Monica ,which has adopted Lukas as her own, after work, feed him enjoy time with and do all the things that a mother would ,He sleeps right through the night and in the morning the same thing- bathing, feeding, dressing and ready to go! Wonderful!
There is little other news and to keep on talking about nothing is not fun! Thank you to all who so wonderfully and regular write a letter or a note I do appreciate it very much! I also Skype’d with Trish in SA during the week so we are up to date with the news!
Birthdays- a day late and apologies was Nichola Joslings - hope that it was a great day!
Little piece of Afrikaans !
Jaco Eloff in Roodeporrt verjaar 14de en ek sal ‘n kaartjie per email stuur Veels Geluk Jaco ook aan klein Paul (Tweeling Paul- ma Nine) se seun ek het nie ‘n epos adres vir hulle op die oomblik nie en hoop iemand sal die wense oordra. Vrydag verjaar Georg- meer as alles van die beste vir jaar wat voorlé!
Back to English!
I do have to share some other exciting news!
We have been looking for a new car since the end of last year but because the emissions of my car are so high no-one want to buy it as it is not eco friendly BUT on Tuesday we found a garage that was prepared to give us s good price and we took the courageous step and bought a Diesel Renault Fluence! Then came the disappointing news that we have to wait 10 days for delivery This is Ireland and they only transport the cars when the carriage is full! Barry was furious but what can we do- wait - I suppose -patiently! The road tax on this car is €104, €371 less than for my present car! A Big difference! The price of diesel is reaching also super heights and we pay at present €1.46 a litre.
I was also very bold and bought a new printer, the ink cartridges of the old printer costs more that the printer. I now have a 4:1 scanner, photocopier, printer and photo printer. Without any assistance I also installed same and it is all working well!
No flowers in the baskets as there were just not good enough plants at the garden centre- the nurseries must have felt the severe winter as well- just as well with the snow falling outside it would have been a bit of a gamble!
I now greet you and wish you well! Be always careful and safety aware!
Barry and Christina, Cranleymore, where the snow is falling in SPRING!