Omgekeerde groete

15 Februarie’14 Saterdag! Goeie dag allemaal, Familie en vriende, Daar was ‘n studie gedoen hier in Ierland “Waaroor praat mense as hulle bymekaar kom?” > as 80% groet en bespreek die weer ,omtrent alles in een asem! Lanklaas was daar ‘n waarer word gepsreek. Ons maak ons oë oop en heeleerste kyk ons hoe dit buite lyk, reen of sonskyn, wind of rustig. Die storms was ons beleef het was regtig vreeslik en ek dink meeste mense het dit wel op TV gesien. ‘n Melkboer het besoek van die TV mense gehad en hy was erg bekommerd want daar is geen elektrisiteit nie en die koeie kan nie gemelk word nie en die pomp werk nie om water by hulle te kry nie en as die water nog 6” styg is die koeie ook in die water! Dit is werklik baie sielig! Ongelooflik is die temperatuur vandag 10°. Ek het my stap gestap in heerlike warm son en skielik draai die wind en hy gaan haal elke wolk wat op die westerlike horison rustig in die lug gehang het en jaag hulle op ‘n hoop regbo my kop in Cranleymore en trek die Zip oop ,sommer alles hael,reen wind en sonskyn alles saam! Ek moes mooi koes en vinnig my pad terug vind na die agterdeur! Ek was net binne besig om my droog te vryf toe alles verby is, en die son skyn weer heerlik en geen wolk in sig nie! Die weervoorspelling gee ons bietjie hoop vir môre en miskien Maandag maar dan verwag hulle weer ‘n storm ,die keer sneeu en wat nog! So met die stap kom ek agter dat baie plante byna al hul nuwe blare het en dat die jasmyn stil stil haar blommetjies oopgemaak het .die affodille sal seker eersdaags regtig begin blom –ons verlustig ons maar in die krokusse, elke jaar is daar ‘n bietjie meer! Ek is baie opgewonde want gister deel ek Barry mee dat ek baie graag weer sou wou gaan werk, die vakansie was nou lank genoeg en my nuwe knie is nou myne ,ons is goed verenig en sommer daar maak ek kontak met die hospitaal –die het intussen byna toegemaak en is weer in die lewe geroep met ‘n nuwe CEO wat deur die bank aangestel is! Hulle het dadelik na my toe terug gekom en ek hoop om volgende week ‘n paar skofte te werk! Een rede vir my besluit is omdat ons ten spyte van goeie geloof besef het dat Barry nie sy pensioen gaan kry nie en aan die einde van April kry ek my laaste “jobseekers allowance” en dan moet ons op spaar geld lewe tot ek 66 is en hulle het geen ooghare vir ons by die Welsyn departement nie want ons sukkel nou byna 10 jaar met Barry se pensioen. Myna sal seker deur dieselfde proses gaan en wie weet hoe lank hulle gaan vat voor hulle vir my gaan pensioen gee! ‘n Werkie hier en daar sal darem b aie welkom wees! Baie dinge vertroebel die gees op die politieke front- die bankiers wat die land in ellende gedompel het- iemand wat die Garda Onbudsman se kantore miskien afgeluister het – en die ‘dieselfde geslag troue’ ding krap groot sere in die opregte Christen hart. Intussen speel ons rugby teen Engeland volgende week en die spanning laai op ! Baie dankie vir al die heelike briefies, Joy in Brisbane, Sue ,ek wag geduldig vir die CD, al die fotos van die Eloff kinders in Roodepoort! Pragtige kinders!!!Isabel, Nine, Haya, Gerlof Die klein kinders word groot en oulik! Eli is nege mnde oud en Lukas staan 4jr se kant toe! My hart begin sommer ruk om te dink hy moet September skool toe gaan! Die troue in Standerton kom nou vinnig nader en die bruid se ouers is op pad SA toe! Marthie ons hoop jy het ‘n veilige reis en geniet die voorbereiding! Ons het honderde voëltjies elke dag op besoek en hul gesang is uit die boonste rakke – die twee katte hoop nog steeds dat hulle een van die dae sal kan vlieg! Verjaardae!Garth verjaar die 21ste en Renate Rohrs ook Veels Geluk met jul verjaardae! Ons dink ook aan almal wat in hartseer gedompel is, almal wat swaar kry finansieel en op ander gebiede. Ons dink aan die wat siek is ,wat ge-opereer is of operasies moet ondergaan. Ons beste wense vir vinnige herstel en uitkoms! Môre is die beste dag van my week en dit is my beurt voor die orgel! Pragtige psalme en gesange –alles met betrekking op Ps 23 en wat is hierdie reeks preke ‘n wonderlike belewenis- ek wens so ek kon hulle almal in ons kerk hê elke Sondag om die gawe en talent te beleef wat aan ons predikant gegee is deur ons Hemelse Vader! Heerlik aan al die birefies gelees veral die baie eina episode in Calgary – hoop dat dit al heelwat beter beter gaan, Arnolda! En ook Mendel wat ‘n baie traumatiese ervaring gehad het! Ons is ook baie trots op Georg wat hom so goed van taak kwyt daar in Yakutsk- nie baie van ons kan spog dat hulle op lewende TV program verskyn het nie en dit in ‘n vreemde land! Ek gaan nou groet want my storie is uit! Wees versigtig ,tuis, op die pad, by die werk - julle is almal baie kosbaar! Sonnige groete vanuit ‘n omgekeerde Cranleymore! Barry & Christina

Stormy Greetings

Saturday 8 February’14 Good day to all , family and friends, I can hear the fire crackling in the living room and I long to sit there but my computer is still working on standby mode! It is pouring outside-we postponed going to the shop till we realize that it is not going to improve. Drenched is not the word, my rain jacket seemed to have lost its ability to let the water run down and not in!!! I cannot really run but dodging the cars between red lights and those who do not stop for them I had to make a run to get safely to the pharmacy side, I really took a bit of a jog there-the knee is playing along! The temperature is 4° but with the icy rain and the stormy winds it feels more like -10 out there. It took 10 ½ days for Eircom to come and fix the broken telephone line! There stands a tree fairly near to the pole and with the strong winds the stark bare branches of the tree literally broke the line off where it comes out of the box on the pole. Barry suffered most –he is attached to the computer and found it very annoying that he could not follow his antique auctions and SA News. My iPad was not working as there were no internet modem or WiFi , I sometimes received emails over the phone but that was also very sporadic and many emails I send from my phone never reached its destinations but thankfully we are on air again and can continue with life as before. There were 253 emails awaiting my attention. What I thought I could delete I did –losing out on my usual medical news and left family letters and photos to be perused! I have not got through them all but as the day goes on I hope to do just that. The stormy Atlantic weather system that has been battering the island has been very sad and heartbroken. The sea just went out of control with waves 3 stories high and promenades, houses, roads, buildings just gone-a relief fund has been made available as many of the business people do not have insurance anymore especially after the last disaster, not so long ago! We are very fortunate that we do not live near a river or stream and on a slight incline therefore all excess water runs past the house to the bottom of the field where it meets up with the stream from the spring! The garden is going green and when the weather allows it I do my 4-5 km walk outside, I know every plant and bud, wonderful to see how nature awakens, The Jasmine will open early next week and so will some of the daffodils. A creeping rose that Barry pulled out because it would not grow I broke a piece off and stuck it into the ground and it is so happy it has nearly covered the entire wall even with the winter cold –it never stopped growing! It has been too wet and cold to start digging the vegetable garden and in spite of all our good intentions it will have to wait a bit longer. The crocuses are flowering and it brings great colour after the bleak winter. On the political front disaster is always on the horizon- they attacked on RTE the other minded people and now deformation monies have to be paid out to the homophobias. The biggest court case in the history of the country has started with the bankers and associates who brought the country to its knees in 2008! The problem is that they lied so much and then they cannot remember the story and it changes as times marches on! There is a new craze that apparently started on Face Book where youngster challenge each other to drink as much as they can of alcoholic drinks and then to attempt the dare set for them and so 2 young men who par-took in this, died in the last 2 weeks- unbelievable ! If it is not bullying young girls into suicide then they dare each other to death! The days are much longer and of course the night much shorter which is a great bonus! When the sun shines you count the hours and the days in the week! You who live in the sunshine and beg for some other weather ,count your blessings as we experience the effect of this sunless weather in the moods and mental attitudes of people, there is definitely a very dark side to this weather where sun is in short supply. Birthdays: TODAY!!!! Kathleen in England and Belinda in SA Happy birthday to you and may you have a wonderful day! Nine had her birthday during last weekend and officially turned a mighty 80 on the 5th! Happy Birthday to you and may you experience many more! Philip Josling has his birthday on the 12th and Brenda Dunne in England on the 13th happy Birthday to you all! Tomorrow is the best day of my week and as I played last week I will be privileged to sit in the pew and do some singing! We have just completed a brilliant series of sermons on Galatians! Ps 23 is now ahead! We do think of those who are not well, those who have had traumatic experiences in the last few months, those who are in recovery , those who are preparing for a new academic year, and those who are studying already for final exams. There are also those who are preparing themselves for a wedding on the 1st in Standerton- may all go well Jeanne! The parents are also in preparation mode! The joy of being parents! Congratulations to Leopoldt with the eldership he entered into! The opening of the Winter Olympic in Sochi was very impressive- we also saw a documentary of the hardship and all the problems that this whole project brought to those who worked on it! Many were not paid for months on end! Thank you for all the photos, the letters and lovely emails- be assured that it is much appreciated and enjoyed! May you all be diligent in safety at home and where-ever you find yourselves. Drive safely and be careful! Wet ,windy and stormy greetings from us in Cranelymore! Barry & Christina