Warm greetings from Cranleymore

Sunday 12 Augustus’12 Good day to family and friends, We experienced the long awaited summer since Tuesday the week gone by. Wonderful sunshine, temperatures to cause severe perspiration. 25° Most days – today it rained for the first time in 7 days and that is a record. 25° equals about 36° in SA ! July was the coldest in Decades!!! The Olympics is nearing the last hours and although it was fantastic I have had enough! Great disappointment about the 800m for women last night-I could not see it but Barry looked! I worked last night, rushed home this morning, changed and went off to church immediately and were privilege that our minister’s father was the preacher for today! I was very tired but it was my turn to play the organ as Joy thought they might be away but in the end did not go. I have a condition where when tired my focus is delayed and during the service I sit in the pew next to Barry writing down the service and move during the last prayer back to the organ. Disaster struck when I realised that I could not see the notes – because you do not expect it, the confusion causes me to play nearly by feeling as the key board becomes blurry as well! Only at verse 3 my sight improved and the last verse all the notes were correct! It is the most terrible sensation when you look at the book and back to the keyboard and you see nothing, the eye specialists can do nothing for the condition but it is very embarrassing and frustrates me greatly – I will have to refrain from playing the organ when I have worked the night before! The garden does not look too bad and has been photographed by Cilna from corner to corner. Some SA friends had coffee with us on Wednesday( invitations went out but few responded because of previous engagements) and although we were few it turned out to be very pleasant with 50 protection screen we enjoyed the refreshment in the garden! Dr Gert Maritz, Cilna’s husband joined us and it was lovely! They are from Memel. At work there has been a surge in theatre cases and my leave for the week of the 20 August has been postpone I sincerely hope that I will get it back before the end of our delayed summer. The snow in SA has really been an experienced- with us something quite normal! When the snow lasts for weeks on end the fun disappears from it, hope it stays a novelty and not a burden. On the political front all is quiet- we expect an eruption as soon as this lot return from their summer vacation-which is nearing an end. The financial state of the country is in a state of total disarray and the fear the Budget in 4 months time! The good news of Baby Christiaan is wonderful and we thank the Lord for every little bit of improvement! We wish the Ohlmesdal couple who are on their way to Canada a good experience for the next 2 years. We had a baby hedgehog with us since Sunday last but on Tuesday evening I fear the magpies must have picked him up as we have not seen the beautiful little animal again, had a chance to take some lovely photos though but feel very sad for its disappearance. The vegetable garden provides us with potatoes, carrots and onions, the apples, 11 of them are still on the tree and the 1 pear still hangs. The grapes are filling out and we might just be able to tastes a grape in a few months time before the cold comes! The tomatoes are coming on as well The snails persists and in spite of their protein value as, I was so politely been informed, they do not look very appetising as they have no shells, are very slimy and rather dark and unfriendly. They devoured nearly every dahlia in the garden of which there were quite a few originally. Birthdays. Yesterday the 11th was Marjorie’s happy day and today it is Gerhard from Frik and Elmaie- Happy birthday to them! Next Saturday the wedding of Pauli and Mader is taking place and our best wishes to them! Thank you to those who regularly let us know how they are, there are a few people on my address list that has been very quiet lately, I hope they are keeping well! I GREET YE ALL WITH A WARM HEART FROM A WARM CRANLEYMORE! TAKE CARE on the roads and at home. Barry and Christina