Wet winter greetings 2014

Saturday 4 January’14 Good day to all, family and friends, Just back from my walk in bright sunshine! , a slight breeze and dark clouds building up from the west. Poor Ireland has been battered by high tides, winds of 100-130km/h, floods and power cuts for the last 14 days on and off! Temperatures not bad, between 1-5° early morning , going sometimes up to 8 or 9°, not as hot as there in Belgium, but very mild. We had an odd morning of black ice and frost and -2°- but that has been the worst! Rain unbelievable- we had several pools of water on the lawn and our electrical pole stood in a good deep pool of 6” of water for several days, I noticed this morning that it has subsided a lot but it still sloshes when you step too near! Farmers fields have turned into inland lakes- rivers has burst their banks and it is still not over- the forecast is again for heavy rains, storm strong winds, & flooding . In spite of all that, there is a wonderful glimmer in the sun rays – so bright and crisp and we do appreciate the sun, as it is somewhat of a commodity to us! The garden looks awful –brown in most spots but in between the evergreen which bring colour to the dullness! The daisy bush is ready to burst into flower and I found a lost little rose this morning, all the bulbs are up, Hyathins, daffodils and tulips, and even the grass has grown! We are very glad that this madness of the festive period is over because it is such a money making racket it hurts your soul! We have communion tomorrow to start the New Year in the church and that is always very special! I am still not allowed to drive or play the organ, I think I could, but the disability movement because of the stiffness in the knee means that I cannot re-act quickly enough in case of a sudden stop or whatever in the traffic! The organ means that my leg is not aligned and at home I get up if I get a spasm but it will be a bit funny if I suddenly stand up in front of the organ! In the pew I can stretch my leg or bend it more, what- ever the case maybe! Patience- I do walk since yesterday without my crutches, 6 weeks yesterday! We bought a “Fly Wheel” a modification of an exercise bike where I sit on a chair and pedal away with or without resistance! I am still freewheeling! It is mainly to compensate for the bad weather when it is impossible to walk outside! The cats- we have seen now 2 new cats visiting with our own 2 sitting on the windowsill with ears forward and eyes as big as saucers! one is a Black and white cat beautiful animal, well fed, with a lovely coat- long hair, and then a bigger brownish ginger cat – little shy but comes to finish what our cats left in their plate! There are bird feeders every-where and hundreds of birds visit us daily ,gold finches, green finches, bull finches, sparrows, blue tits and tits(they are bigger than the blue tits)Black birds& robins! Do not know about “mossies”? We had hoped to see a pheasant but were not so privileged! All relatively quiet on the political front- we are waiting for the explosion on Monday! Schools re-open and most people are back at work! A big thank you to all who wrote letters, sent photos, and shared their year with us- it was most enjoyable! Keep it up and Kathleen who wrote such a wonderful Afrikaans letter! Congratulations! In Some places it is very cold -45° like in Yakutsk or 41° in Brisbane . Some places floods and other places so dry cattle are dying! It is difficult to understand why these weather patterns exist – is it really global warming or is it the natural run of events! Birthdays! Josie in England 6th, Corli 9th! Happy birthday to you both! I would appreciate if I could have the birthdates of all the new arrivals, Otto and Louie! Ouma Nine please let me know! The days are getting longer and the nights shorter which give us a spring in our step! We think of all those who are waiting for results! Those who are going to school for the first time- those who are going to high school, Those who still have to write a few exams to get where they want to be- research projects to be completed and all the doctors qualified and ready for new challenges! We also think of those who are not well, those who are still in the process of recovery- those who are worried about something, those who are struggling with cancer! “Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, To trust Me in the dark. The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation “ From Jesus Calling. I have to share with you the wonder of technology and that you are never too old to learn something new! Mendel , my brother in George and us Skype during the week , not only did I hear his voice but we could see each other first time in 10 years! That was a wonderful experience and we will be able to do this now more often! Well done Mendel! We also correspond now via email! Thank you also to Hillie and all the children and grand children that has made this possible! Thank you also to Tjaart who so regularly supplied Mendel with a printout of my letter! You will be blessed Tjaart! We greet you with the usual reminder to remember safety in and around the house and on the roads! Wet winter greetings from Cranleymore Christina