TiasTime

back for good...

2010-08-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

June Jewels

2010-06-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
it`s lovliness increases,
it will never pass into nothingness." - Keats

Who needs canvas ?

2010-05-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

The creative is a place where no-one else has ever been, you have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you`ll discover there is wonderful. What you`ll discover is yourself !

Moments in May

2010-05-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the Spring. Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature`s rebirth?

-Edward Giobbi-

Abundant April

2010-04-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

If you`ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in Spring bloom , maybe your soul has never been in bloom...

The simple things...

2010-04-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

How can you explain that you need to know that the trees are still there , and the hills and the sky? anyone knows they are. How can you say it is time your pulse responded to another rhythm , the rhythm of the day and the season instead of the hour and the minute? No , you cannot explain , so you walk...

Turning Twelve

2010-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

"Child of pure unclouded brow

and dreaming eyes of wonder"

-Through the Looking -glass-

The wearing of the green !

2010-03-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

"When Irish eyes are smiling
sure tis like a morn in Spring
in the lilt of Irish laughter
you can hear the angels sing,
when Irish hearts are happy
all the world seems bright and gay
and when Irish eyes are smiling
sur they`d steal your heart away..."

Vintage !

2010-03-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

"Fashions fade...Style is eternal "
-Yves Saint Laurent-

Dreams really do come true...

2010-03-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

" A lot of dreams don`t come true in life...if you can make somebody`s dream come true...you should".

-Jameer Nelson-

In memory of my Mother...

2010-03-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

"My Mother is a poem
I`ll never be able to write
though everything I write
is a poem to my Mother"
- Sharon Doubiago-

I`m eating honey !

2010-02-22T13:32:00.003-08:00

"Well", said Pooh , "what I like best-" and then he had to stop and think, because although eating honey was a very good thing to do , there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he did`nt know what it was called...
Winnie the Pooh quote

Snow !

2010-02-20T14:19:00.003-08:00

"Oh ! the snow, the beautiful snow,
how the flakes gather and laugh as they go
whirling about in maddening fun;
chasing, laughing , hurrying by,
it lights on the face and sparkles the eye;
and the dogs with a bark and a bound
snap at the crystals as they eddy around;
the town is alive, and its heart is aglow,
to welcome the coming of bautiful snow"
-anon-

Gifts to and from friends (in memory of Apa)

2010-02-19T15:29:00.003-08:00

"In the dance of life, friends are people who encourage you to do your best, who like you for who you are, and who remind you what steps to take when you`ve forgotten the way. They`re the ones who always understand what you`re going through. They`re the people who help you rest assured that your secrets are safe and your hopes are in good hands"
-from a calender given to me from my big sister-

Shrove Tuesday

2010-02-16T14:16:00.003-08:00

It is Shrove Tuesday, and the men from the fields tread quickly coming in , because they know there will be pancakes for supper- real pancakes , none of your paper-thin rolled foolishness , but good substantial buttermilk pancakes.
There`s a clatter of them as high as your hip waiting on the hob , with melted butter and sugar trickling down the sides.
What matter if the women of the house has developed thawlock from beating and mixing and turning pancakes for the past two hours? Its all in a good cause.
Is`nt it Pancake night?
_from Great-Granny Marys cookbook-
Irish pancakes:
Ingredients: 1lb flour , 1 teaspoon bread soda, enough buttermilk to make a thick batter , butter and caster sugar for spreading.

Method: Sift flour with salt and bread soda. Break eggs into a well in the centre of flour and mix well. Beat in enough buttermilk to make a thick batter. Fry in spoonfuls on a greased pan. Butter them as they come from the pan and sprinkle thickly with sugar.

Our 14th Valentines together...

2010-02-14T13:28:00.003-08:00

"Who , being loved, is poor" ?
-Oscar Wilde-

Treasures Great and small

2010-02-13T11:06:00.001-08:00

"I have just three things to teach: Simplicity , Patience and Compassion. These are your greatest treasures."
-Lao Tzu-

New beginnings...

2010-02-09T15:21:00.003-08:00

At evening, we lift our hearts in gratitude for the gifts of the day
-Sr.Stan-

3 little pigs...Daddy style !

2010-02-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Because there is a natural storytelling urge and ability in all human beings, even just a little nurturing of this impulse can bring about astounding and delightful results...

Make do and mend

2010-02-06T07:11:00.001-08:00

"It took me years of trial and error to work out that there is absolutely no knitting triumph I can achieve that my husband will think is worth being woken for " !
-Stephanie Pearl McPhee-

Celtic light...IMBOLC

2010-02-02T07:03:00.001-08:00

"No Winter lasts forever,
No Spring skips its turn"

Refreshed

2010-01-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

"But now they drift on still water
mysterious, beautiful;
among what rushes will they build
by what lake`s edge or pool
delight men`s eyes, when I awake some day
to find they have flown away "?
-"The wild swans at Coole"- WB Yeats

Embracing Simplicity

2010-01-25T10:16:00.001-08:00

January , the month of new beginnings and cherished memories , beckons.Come , let winter weave her wondrous spell: cold, crisp , woolen-muffler days, long dark evenings of savoury suppers , lively conversations, or solitary joys. Outside the temperature drops , all of nature is at peace. We should be too, Draw, hearthside. This is the month to dream , to look forward to the year ahead and the journey within...

Speckles of Spring!

2010-01-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

"if we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly , our whole life would change..."
-Budda-

Shauna: 3 years an angel...

2010-01-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

S- Sparkling
H- Happy
A- Articulative
U - Ubiquitous
N- Necessary
A- Ace

Washday blues...

2010-01-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

"Monday was washday always, and what an awesome task it used to be. When I was a child I used to begin dreading it on Sunday, hating the steam-filled kitchen, the wet quarry floor and the thudding of the maiden-tub".
-From "A Wartime Washing Day"-
Aa href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6kbw7DIHLlE/S0yok5FBVyI/AAAAAAAAC-g/W4FX70llawY/s1600-h/snow+GONE+!jan+2010+010.JPG">

trying to do our bit...

2010-01-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

"Just for today...
I will let go of my worry
I will let go of my anger
I will do my work honestly
I will be kind to my neighbour and all living things
I will be grateful for all that I have".

Pause

2010-01-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

"did you ever stop to think and forget to start again" ?
-Winnie the Pooh-

Sean and Mick : "mates"

2010-01-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

"alone we can do so little,
together we can do so much"

Lyreen Garden Center, Maynooth

2010-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

"Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories"
-from the film "an affair to remember" -

Snow , and more snow !

2010-01-06T17:17:00.001-08:00

"True happiness is found in giving".

(My) Silent World

2010-01-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

See how natute- trees, flowers,grass- grows in silence; see the starts , the moon and the sun , how they move in silence...we need silence , to be able to touch souls".
-Mother Theresa-

SIMPLY THINKING...

2010-01-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star"

Magic in the air !

2010-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

"Lovley and moderate, the snow lies down
while shouting children hurry back to play,
and scarved and smiling citizens once more
sweep down their easy paths of pride and welcome.."
-Mary Oliver-

Snowbody does it better ...

2010-01-01T10:19:00.001-08:00

" Nature is full of genius ,full of the divinity; so that not even a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand".
-Henry David Thoreau-

Happy Old Year...

2009-12-30T06:15:00.001-08:00

"Year`s end is neither an end nor a beginning,but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us".

I`m dreaming of a white Christmas ...

2009-12-26T16:00:00.001-08:00

"Christmas Gifts":
To your enemy, forgiveness,
To your opponent , tolerance,
To your friend, your heart,
To your customer , service,
To all, charity,
To every child, a good example,
To yourself, respect.
-Oren Arnold-
T

Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T13:50:00.001-08:00

"God of all creation,
of bare forest and low northern skies,
of paths unknown and never taken,
of bramble, sparrow, and damp dark earth,
we thank you for loss, for the dimming of the year,
we thankyou for light, even in its seeming midwinter failing,
we thankyou for life, for its hope and resistence,
like a seed dying and living".
-Prayer from the Iona community-

Just playing...

2009-12-18T12:09:00.001-08:00

"Cousins by chance, friends by choice"

The colour of Winter

2009-12-14T08:10:00.000-08:00

"In the depth of Winter,
I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible Summer"
-Albert Camus-

Perfick :)

2009-12-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORA xx

"Don`t you stay at home of evenings? Don`t you love a cushioned seat in a corner , by the fireside , with your slippers on your feet " ? -Oliver Wendell Holmes-

Winterous!

2009-12-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

"Winter came down to our home one night
quitely pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
and we were children once again."
-Bill Morgan Jr.

A commission (yeahhhhh !)

2009-12-06T12:48:00.001-08:00

"Who sees the human face correctly : the photographer , the mirror , or the painter ?"
-Pablo Picasso-
href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6kbw7DIHLlE/SxwZLkNCYfI/AAAAAAAACpI/eNokz9HTkHE/s1600-h/Nellies+retirement+party+dec09+108.JPG">

My sisters retirement party

2009-12-04T20:22:00.001-08:00

"Life may not always be the party we hoped it would be, but while we are here we should enjoy the dance."

Craft fair extraordinare !

2009-12-03T12:52:00.000-08:00

WHAT an amazing day...my kinda day, helped a friend, Annah of www.kumbikids.com with her stall in Kildare town parish centre , laughed, made new friends, drank tea, wove magic wands from willow , and drank more tea ! Thanks for the great hat/scarf combo Annah (isnt she clever) ? Hope you all enjoy the pics, so hard to choose which ones to blog ! Came home loaded with handmade goodies...do make an effort this year to support your local crafters if you can...all "homemade with love" !

cold days ,warm hearts...

2009-12-02T13:08:00.001-08:00

The sunshine of your smile
might chase the clouds from
someone`s life today"
-(from my desk calender)

Hibernation...

2009-12-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

"Rows of books like well-loved friends
reach out to welcome me,
as I sit in the old chintzy chair
with a steaming cup of tea.

As curtains drawn against the dark
screen out the wintry night,
this hour of sweet contentment
is savoured with delight "
_from "Winter delights" by: Kathleen Gillum

annoying....but fun !

2009-11-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

No quotes today ! My sister used to TRY sing this song (isnt it appropriate for the weather we are having?) , when I was a kid, thing is she only knew the first two lines.....so to renew old memories she sent this "thing" for the kids to play with , sometimes I secretly thank my lucky stars I`m deaf , I mean all ya gotta do is look at Seans face in the video...LOL... personally I think this little fella will be out the door before December 25th jugding by Seans face hee-hee !!!

Fairy Godchildren

2009-11-24T13:47:00.001-08:00

"All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small ,
all things bright and beautiful,
the Lord God made them all"

Collected...

2009-11-21T10:44:00.001-08:00

"Healing" , papa would tell me, "is not a science , but the intuitive art of wooing nature"
-W.H. Auden-

Rain, Rainy Rain !

2009-11-20T11:43:00.001-08:00

"May God Give you...
for every storm a rainbow,
for every tear a smile,
for every care a promise
and a blessing for each trial.
For every problem life sends
a faithful friend to share,
for every sigh a sweet song,
and an answer for each prayer."
- an Irish blessing-

Candle in the wind(ow)

2009-11-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

"My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night, But , ah, my foes, and oh , my friends , It gives a lovley light" -Edna St. Vincent Millay-

Lifes purpose...

2009-11-14T16:13:00.001-08:00

"Farewell to an idea...
The Mother`s face,
the prpose of the poem,
fills the room.
They are together here and it is warm "
-Wallace Stevens-

Solid ground

2009-11-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

"How we spend our days is, of course , how we spend our lives"
-Annie Dillard-

Surprise !!!!!

2009-11-05T12:49:00.001-08:00

"When bright flowers bloom
Parchment crumbles, my words fade,
the pen has dropped..."
-Morpheus-

Writing deadlines...and making time...

2009-11-04T10:20:00.001-08:00

"..word after word
floats through the glass.
Towards me."
-Denise Levertov- (from "seeing for a moment").

Oiche Shauna !

2009-10-31T17:07:00.001-07:00

"Backward, turn backward,
O time, in your flight
make me a child again
just for tonight " !
-Elizabeth Akers Allen-

Driving through (Autumn-time) Dublin

2009-10-30T17:58:00.001-07:00

"Ring a ring a Rosie ,

as the lights decline,

I remember Dublin city

in the rare oul times..."

RDS Knitting & Stitching Show 2009

2009-10-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

"The web of our life is a mingled yarn,
good and ill together"
-Shakespeare-

a HUGE thankyou to EVEYONE at the RDS today who made our (Nora and myself) time today very memorable ! Everyone was so amazingly acommadating , its not easy walking around on a walking stick trying to take pictures :0)
Also from me ,thankyou to Sean and Nora who organised tickets and babysitting so I could spend a day in Heaven...yarn oh and more yarn !

long weekend...

2009-10-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

from toast to toasted :0) hope everyone had a lovley bank-holiday weekend !

quite a normal Saturday...

2009-10-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

"It`s the national addiction: warmth on chilly winter nights; innocence on Saturday afternoons ,the essence of hearth , home and blissful abandon"
-Patricia Linden-

Rainy days , sunny smiles

2009-10-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

"Take bread from me , if you wish,
take air away, but
do not take from me your laughter...
my struggle is harsh and I come back
with eyes tired
from having seen
the unchanging earth,
but when your laughter enters
it rises to the sky seeking me
and it opens for me all
the doors of life"
-Pablo Neruda-

Daisy does Alanis Morisette !

2009-10-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

For Dee & Rory...

2009-10-20T13:53:00.001-07:00

"For today and it`s blessings, we owe the world an attitude of graditude..."

Sunday funday

2009-10-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

"childhood is...the most beautiful of all life`s seasons"

autumn walk

2009-10-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

" the place where you lose the trail is not necessarily where it ends..."

Girly night in...trying out clothes ;)

2009-10-16T16:45:00.001-07:00

hee hee what beats a girly night in with yer mates trying on clothes and behaving like teenagers again (yes even us mammys enjoy a laugh)...and as we found out armadillo underwear is not suitable for wearing in Asia (private joke)...

But as you can see when it comes to kissing the kiddies goodnight we turn straight back into mature mammies...

Home is where the heart is...

2009-10-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

there are some folks who say that Im a dreamer,
and I`ve no doubt there`s truth in what they say...
but sure a body is bound to be a dreamer ,
when all the things you love are far away...

Pretty bubbles in the air...

2009-10-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

"A smile starts on the lips,
a grin spreads to the eyes,
a chuckle comes from the belly.
but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul,
overflows and bubbles all around".

Girls just wanna have fun !

2009-10-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

"o chestnut tree, great-rooted blossomer,
are you the leaf, the blossom or the bole?
obody swayed to music, o brightening glance,
how can we know the dancer from the dance"?
-W.B. Yeats-

new hairdo for a friend...

2009-10-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

"pearls lie not on the seashore...if thou desirest one, thou must dive for it"

-oriental proverb-

Maeve and Ella called today , Ella for her usual Friday evening stay...Maeve has been having a "will I wont I" relationship with herself for months now over her long straight hair...SO we went mad a cut it all off...studenty , funky and she LOVES it ! Its great to make others feels good, and I am a big believer in "pass it on" as Nora made ME feel good yesterday with a massage...

also we see Sean getting a bit ahead of himself , trying on the teatowel at dinnertime to ask Ella and Aideen should he audition for a part in a Christmas play !

Daisy has found a little toy camera and is following me around everywhere "taking photos with ya mammy"... so funny !

And today we had colcannon for dinner , yum !

No more cot !

2009-10-07T16:24:00.001-07:00

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about".
-Angela Schwindt-

Changing rooms...

2009-10-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

I adore this cute poster on the girls bedroom door...a gift from an American friend. Aideen gives Nora a huge hug to thank her for all her help with decorating a great girly bedroom !

Tia ... you never lose it once you`ve done public speaking , even family and friends become unwilling "audiences" to your speeches heehee !

After a long 2 years , we`ve finally cleaned out (properly) what used to be Aideen and Shaunas room...its been hard on Aideen she feels that by getting rid of Shaunas things shes letting her go , but at last with lots of great help , we`ve done it ! Its now Aideen and Daisy`s room (getting Daisy to sleep in the bed is a long and for her ,fun process) ! But even though we`ve to yet paint the wradrobe , and some wood parts and also put up some voile, in the main its done. Its tricky decorating a room that a pre-teen and a toddler must share , but we think we hit the spot !

Also in this range of pics , having (one of many) tea breaks and Noras disguist as I explain to her the many pros of an outside dry toilet (shes an andrex toilet roll gal) LOL...enjoy the pics !

mending and making...

2009-10-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sean fixes our broom with an old fishing pole (!!!!!) and I am finished my patch for the towm quilt (yippeeeeee!), also I`m busy these evenings making some christmas gifts for family and friends...only 12 weeks to go...heres a photo of a cushion (in the making) that I am doing for a friend in the USA...its the moon from her album cover (called "Cosmic Bodies"). Everyone is busy with their own chores...Sean baking , Aideen hoovering and filling the dish-washer...extra chores mean extra pocket money so fair is (very) fair ;)

Nora is busy showing Daisy how to "help" paint the girls room...great combination that ! as you can see our very own Nora Batty loves wearinf headscarves and rubber gloves...all she needs now is Compo (hee hee)...well off to knit and sew some more, hope everyone had a lovley weekend !

Homemade soup...

2009-09-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup ? Who soothes you when you are ill? who refuses to leave when you are impoverished and streches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who is also so capable of doing honour to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best , no matter what undignified conditions are imposed on it - you dont catch steak hanging around when you are poor or sick, do you ?
-Judith Martin- (Miss Manners)

An autumn walk with Aideen...

2009-09-27T08:21:00.001-07:00

"Come , said the wind to the leaves one day ,
Come oèr meadows and we will play.
Put on your dresses scarlet and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold."
-a childrens song-

Aideens first prom !

2009-09-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Ok well technically it obviously was`nt Aideen going to the prom...but Nora`s son Kieran...and knowing Aideens secret wish the lovley young man asked Aideen to pose with him for a "pretend prom photo" thanks Kieran you made her day !!!! Luckily we had an fabulous evening for taking photos , a real Indian summer and everyone really enjoyed themselves...before we knew it we were waving Kieran and his stunning date on their way...

For my Seany...thankyou xx

2009-09-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Seany I made a wish...and you came true !

I`ve missed blogging !!!

2009-09-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

BOY , have I MISSED blogging !!!! as you can see (ugh that photo...thanks Sean) , I`ve been sick...with shingles...dont ask, BUT today am up at last at happily clicking away again :o)

Of course the photos are (now) about 2 weeks old but never the less...so raise your cups to a few memories of the past couple of weeks...enjoy xx

Crafty women are they...

2009-09-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yippee...my sanity has thus been restored ! Tonight our weekly craft meetings started back in our little ICA hall...and were we glad to see each other , lock ourselves in , Grannies and Mammies alike , have a chat , some tea and treats and of course crafting ! We are a higgley -piggeldy bunch of ladies from all walks of life , but we blend well...and those 3 hours restore our sanity till the following week . We were discussing tonight that its such a pity that "younger" women (I am the youngest member by 25 years granted) , are not into joining the ICA anymore...no offence taken ,we KNOW everyone associates us with "old wans" ,but Im here to tell you now , it couldnt be more different ! It makes me sad to think in years to come I could well be the only member left...hopefully by then more will have embraced the ,well , mend and make do policy...these bunch of ladies took me under their wing and its like visiting a room full of aunties every Monday night ,with our monthly meetings of course thrown in. As well as crafting , we do things for charities (at the moment we knit hats for preemie babies and also little t-shirts for babies in foreign countries and for christmas we are making lovley bandana-type pieces to give to the hospitals to give to the lady cancer patients)...we`re also planning our Christmas "do" a lovley meal in a hotel in the midlands , and plenty more...I could go on , I tell you if these "old" ladies can do this , can you imagine what the "young wans" could do???

Also , if you live in Ireland , join (yes, its free) : Pigsback.com : you can print out shopping coupons every couple of weeks , up to €17 worth ...so join up now, pictured are the coupons I printed out this evening ,between them Im going to save €7 on my shop , not bad for nothing :0)

Wish I had pics of Sean working in the garden with me today...but we were COVERED in muck , etc so camera remained indoors...we have pains were we didnt know we had muscles hee-hee and if the sun doth shine tomorrow he`ll be digging again !

a day in the life...

2009-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ok , Daisy STILL thinks the potty is for everything only what its suppossed to be for !!!! Today its a fruit bowl...very creative (but funny) ! Sean has my kitchen table , and God knows my kitchen is tiny , taken over...fixing computers etc...but hes happy ! And when Seans not fixing computers and the like , Daisy is painting...after breakfast everyday...the new ritual...is it a wonder my house is always a mess??? Oh well , the day will come when I wish they were all small again back painting , so I shouldnt complain , but anay Mother out there will know that "aghhhhh" feeling LOL

September days

2009-09-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Surely , no season reminds us as acutely of impermanance as Autumn.No matter how far removed we might be from the natural world, the sight of a fallen leaf reminds us that nothing lasts for long. Everything is born to decay. And still , the autumn is alight with a mysterious glow. The exuberance of summer is over ,for "beautys charm is a few days dream". Autumn invites reflection and foreberance but can also tickle the somber mood by presenting us with a dazzling display of sunshine and warmth...

Sandcastles and sunny days...

2009-08-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

well , here we ae , home again after a week in Skerries (Co.Dublin)...my very first "beach holiday" !!!! We all loved it , had a ball and would go back in a heartbeat ! meanwhile heres a taste of some of the 700 and more photos I took....lots of memories , enjoy !

the kettles always on !

2009-08-17T15:14:00.001-07:00

a day of visitors today, we love that...giz us an excuse to put the kettle on and chat with friends...Annah and the boys , Nora and the girls and Michael all called today...Annah and myself are like passing ships this summer , never known anything like it !!!! (Thanks for the "Tia" zip charm, I love it!)...so all the kids played , etc for a couple of hours , Sean was woodworking outside and the women drank tea and chatted. ! Then I had a healing , and after that Nora took the girls for HS classes (thank you!)...and took them for what else , icecream , Daisy calls her "Nora ceam" :o) Michael called then so it was fishing talk and coffee ,but I managed to squeeze in a BIT of garden/allotment speak ! By the way , WHAT do you think of the pool Annah and Michael have passed onto us ? Cool or what ,all we need now is a SUMMER !!!!!! Cant wait to use it ! Another great day spent with great friends....by the way , Sean is seen here fixing Reubens DS , this guy can fix anything !!! hes now known (sorry hon) as "Sean O Toole".... remember Agnes Browne ??? Sorry sweetie myself and Nora just could`nt resist !!!! By the way check out our HS blog to see what the girls got up to today...

Twilight reflections

2009-08-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

Soem of these pictures were "accidental" some not...but for some reason today I couldnt stop taking "reflective" photographs ! Come to think of it I WAS in a relective mood...is`nt the fairy GORGEOUS ? Her name is BREENA and she is a gift from Sean and the girls from their trip to Dublin yesterday , they are too sweet , never forget me ! She now sits beside the photos of Ryan and Shauna were candles are lit to/for them everyday...and she even has pink for Shauna and blue for Ryan ! Also we managed to plant soem lettuce into old cartons today to grow inside on the window ledges so that during the winter we (hopefully) will have the taste of the outdoors to enjoy ! And the cd of Emily Dickenson poems (being sung) is a gift from our dear friend, Martha in Florida...thankyou Martha ! Martha is a very gifted Ballet and Belly-dance dancer who put us up in her beautiful home in Florida while we were there last year...and even though its a week away yet we couldnt resist "packing" a few bits for our trip to Skerries...Sean scored a great bargain with this lined picnic blanket for only €4 ! And also we have some nature book and our watercolours and of course the compass (dont ask) packed....oh excitement :0)

Self-sufficient ... in the town !

2009-08-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

Ah , nothing like it...growing your own ! And YES is can be done in the town , I`ve known of people keeping bees in the town (all you need is a flat roof for the hives !)...anyways , Aideen has been helping me propogate herbs and such so we will have more plants next year ,and shes been writing up in her garden journal...another homeschool project ! Heres some of our "new" plants...and our window boxes in the front windows are overflowing with thyme and parsley...the smell is amazing after the rain ! The knitting is coming along too...but slowly...WIP (thats work in progress to non-knitters out there) are : new socks for Aideen and Daisy in a wonderful rainbow coloured wool, and also the "R" I`m knitting for the poetry societry is gettign there...sure by slow...the pattern they sent me is made up of dots on graph and is driving this dyslexic Doris dotty :0) but, it will get done ! Sean is working away cleaning out his shed, in order to get ready for the coming winter months, he hopes this year he will get some projects done in the shed...why does he need a kettle in there then ??? and Daisy has found herself a new "game" Aideens connect4 that Daisy Lila and Papa Gene sent from America...she walks around everywhere with it and just opens it and sets up a game anywhere ! Its so funny , she just drops the yellow and red counters in and announces that she "wins"...but hey shes happy ! Now i`m off to read this months "Home Farmer" magazine !

Happy Birthday Caoimhe !

2009-08-08T14:41:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Caoimhe, and thankyou to Nora, Frank, Sadhbh and Michael (Daisys hero) for a grand day...enjoy the photos guys, these are for you xx

the fruits are planted...

2009-08-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well the fuit trees for next year are planted, 2 gooseberry and 2 tayberry (kind of a raspberry)...they will (hopefully) next year profide enough fruit for one or two desserts and maybe jam the year after... having a small garden (and not the acre or two wed love to have...yet) ,we have to make use of every available space for growing so these new additions are planted just beside the hedge where I will train them to grow along the branches...also today saw the planting of all our herbs, using I am delighted to be able to say organic rooting powder...but as you can see Aideen found five minutes to sit down and have a quick cuppa, like mother like daughter :0)