February Greetings

Saturday 4 Feb’12

Good day to you all, Family and friends,
In most places that I know of, the temperature drops at night but not in Ireland here the temperature rises during the night. You go to bed pretty cold and get up the next morning wondering why you were getting rid of the duvet several time during the night, just to find out that the temperature has risen at least 6 degrees! Therefore we experience after a freezing week of -4 to 0° a wonderfully mild day slightly wet, 7° a few moment ago -only a drizzle now and again nothing much- thick cloud that prevents the sun from bringing us light and brightness which was such a wonderful part of the freezing weather, we are never happy, are we?! Moan, moan, and moan, ah, it is not really moaning it is just missing the sun which sits high in the heavens now a days and shine with such brilliance that it dazzles you!
Plant growth has suffered as in Exeter, a great deal – Our daffodils in bloom have an extra-ordinary ability to pick them- selves up from the ground after being frozen stiff as soon as the sun shines on them I wish I was a photographer to capture this amazing event in slow motion!
The roses were pruned – I did that on the 1st as per gardening advice- we are trying to cover the wall and every year I cut them back well and proper but this year I had a much gentler approach and we hope that was enough to stimulate growth.
The winter garden have onions in and the rhubarb has also made a come- back after a transplant – the Brussels sprouts developed very late and what- ever the reason there were some of them more like miniature lettuce leaves they did not form a core and although tasty was a bit of a mishap. We did eat most of it –rather I ate most of it as Barry thought they looked too odd!
I am still off work and feel very guilty- unfortunately there are no facilities for work injury -to go on light duty and still be of some value to your company while not 100% well and therefore I am in my 4th week of convalescence with Physio once a week and home exercises to strengthen the muscle and repair the tear! I get regular updates from my friends Deirdre (works with me night duty) and Karen (a theatre nurse) about the situation of short staff and critical care –but I do miss the work itself – I know while doing it you feel it is not safe and unwise but I still miss it! Barry is a wonderful carer and after a good lecture he now allows me to do some things.
On the political front our Taoiseach made foolish remarks about the people of Ireland and was ridiculed well for doing so- The disastrous pay outs by Social Welfare is out of this world. We only heard during the week that families get Communion pay-out for their children having First Communion, they go absolutely mad in this country the girls are dressed as if they are getting married and arrive at the church in horse drawn carriages or white limousines, they receive enormous amounts of money from friends and relatives- have a big party afterwards and hardly ever go back to church there-after. We are in the deepest of financial mess and the Government when said they are going to cut this allowance were nearly crucified!
There will be an exodus of over 7,000 workers during the next month – an offer was made to civil servants which includes nurses, garda and other dept to go on early retirement and they will receive their full pension and will not be taxed on it- if you stay, your pension will be cut in different ways and it will be taxable in future- so- the brain drain has started at a tremendous cost to the government in the mean time over 2000 new immigrants received their citizenship yesterday and the day before- Good for them, I am really happy for them but in the mean time there is no work over 460,000 on welfare allowance and young people are struggling -with degrees , leaving the country- please do not understand me wrongly I am also one of those who are now an Irish citizen and I hope that those who are waiting will be rewarded soon with their papers- they on the other hand are those who are working very hard, paying taxes and provide for their children themselves and is not a drain on the resources but so many are provided with every possible means to live while other struggle, this is only my opinion- eat me up alive but deep in our hearts we know it is true – I just wonder how many of those who received their citizenship are tax payers? I hope and pray that they all are!
The health system is at cross roads and what is going to happen with 3000 nurses leaving?– and this is only the beginning of a country wide disaster.
Away from morbid thoughts and back to reality. Thank you Haya for the lovely photos of young Cobus He looks lovely! We will not divulge how it came about that the photos were eventually posted! The wonderful news from Australia, still in the very early stages, is great! It also means that we are all getting older and the years are starting to count.
Nine (mother, grandmother and great grandmother) is having her Birthday tomorrow and we pray and hope that her year will be healthy and with as little pain as possible! Enjoy the day!
Kathleen Cooper is having her Birthday on the 8th and so is Belinda in Jhb.
Hope sincerely that your days will be wonderful and the year blessed.
We are also hoping that Werner is getting better and that the fever he developed has been dealt with.
Tomorrow, as you all know by now, are the best day of my week and I am on organ duty all Hymns well practiced and we are ready for once again a good message! We are- God Willing- going to have another Hymn Service at the end of April, 29th, so all our SA friends from Mullingar and everywhere else mark that day to visit Corboy Presbyterian church for heavenly singing and praise!
Our grandson Lukas is our joy and delight and we will have him and parents visiting us in 2 weeks time and we cannot wait! He is as clever as you can find and very cute! He has never lost his loveliness and wonderful nature and is a charmer out and out!
Our wild animals have been here frequently during the cold weather and the birds multiplied in numbers when it is so cold- their feeding days are coming to an end as they will soon start nesting, we see the signs all around us!
I sincerely hope that those who travel will do it safely and be very alert regarding you safety!
Thank you for the lovely letters and photos are always welcome
Warm regards from us in Cranleymore
Barry and Christina