Autumn sailing

We had a lovely, peaceful outing on Knocknagow yesterday. The sun was shining and the lake was calm. It was probably the last one of the season, which is sad. We headed further south on Lough Derg than we have been in her, rounding Parker's Point and heading in the direction of Killaloe. We turned back about half way down the stretch southwards. Boats were dotted around the lake - fishing boats, sailing boats, hire and private cruisers, speed-boats, and us.

Today we have been doing spring cleaning. b has cleaned out a couple of kitchen cupboards while I cleaned up the front room and put away some of the stuff we brought back from the boat yesterday. We're both exhausted now and feel we deserve a rest. A lamb had been cooking slowly in the oven since this morning. It's smelling good so I'm looking forward to dinner.

Last week was a particularly busy one. I had to be at work until late 3 evenings, presenting some changes in policies to various groups. It is stressful to do this kind of thing. On Friday evening I went out with some Avocent friends and "chilled". Before I knew it my watch told me it was 1 a.m. This is considerably beyond my bed-time!

All the activity has helped to avoid brooding on the empty nest here. We've been so used to having Ian around that it is very strange to find that he isn't here. The trip to Bristol last weekend was a bit sad for me. However, the campus is very impressive and I think his room is so nice that he won't want to come home. It sounds like he is enjoying himself. It is hard to be sad at his absence when he is doing something good.

Carolan is about to start her new job and is making a final visit home to us this week beforehand. She met her new boss last week so is all set for the start-up, having even got her hair ready!

In other news, the families at Rockspring are all doing what they said they'd be doing. Rebecca has gone to Manchester, Phelie has gone to Brussels, and the rest are around Rockspring. Phelie got accepted for the observations he wants to do in Palestine next spring, so he is excited about that. Granny and Grandpa had a nice holiday so are feeling refreshed.

That's all for now. I have to go and get some beetroot from the garden for our dinner.

Carolan is coming home tomorrow

Carolan is coming home tomorrow, Carolan is coming home tomorrow, Carolan is coming home tomorrow. Did I tell you that Carolan is coming home tomorrow?

That means it is close to the time when we bring Ian to Bristol. He is packing, and I'm hoping the mess everywhere will all disappear. b has a menu ready for Thursday evening, and champagne, so we'll have a good send-off for him. Pity Andy has to work, but we can always celebrate again when everyone returns! I'm going to suffer badly from empty nest syndrome next week so have arranged to work almost every evening.

Oh, and there is sweet corn ready for us all to eat as starters. I can't pick it until 5 minutes before we want to eat it as that is when it is supposed to taste its best. And 100 yellow tomatoes to eat as well, all grown in my greenhouse along with cucumbers and red and brown tomatoes. It's all very exciting.

It's all go!

About 3,000 euro later, our shower is now nearly fixed. The sealant between the wall and the shower tray came off after about 2 uses, so there is duct tape there while we wait for that part to be re-done. However, we can use it, so we are clean again.

I woke up this morning with a feeling that my face was sun-burnt. A look in the mirror tells me that I am. Yesterday b and I went out on Knocknagow to explore Youghal Bay, the bay to the east of Garrykennedy. We have had no particular reason why we would go into it as it has no place to land, and it isn't on the way to anywhere, but it is deep. b was keen to explore it. It was lovely and peaceful, with some beautiful houses looking out on it. There is a landing stage, with a diving board, and there seems to be a couple of small harbours for sailing boats attached to particular houses.

Of course, I didn't have much time to see the view as I was cleaning the decks! Ian and b are bringing lots of people out on the boat tomorrow as part of a radio programme that is being recorded on board. They seem to think that the state of the boat doesn't matter on a radio programme, but they don't understand.... Anyway, the green slime on the decks could prove to be slippy. Imagine, also, if Eanna Ni Lamhna (she is one of the panel on board) decided that mould or cobwebs were good topics to discuss because she was seeing them all around her. How embarrassing!

Ian is gradually packing for the big journey to Bristol. I must pull out the big suitcase today and help him sort clothes and bed-clothes. The house will be very empty when he is gone, with not even a bicycle in the hall.

The Newtown season is starting. I was down visitng HPC on Wednesday, and today I need to complete my annual report to Patron. Schools are in full flight, so I also spent Friday evening at a meeting on the problems in the local national school, trying to come to some agreement on how to tackle the complaints in a manner that won't bring legal injunctions.

We opened a J&J products "shop" at work this week, so the products will now be easier to acquire and I have a few for C to bring back. I've been helping out at the check-out as we don't yet have a scanning system in place. Yesterday morning I had to be in for 7.30 - 8.30am, and I have to go in again this evening at 7.30 - 8.30pm. All shifts will then have been covered so the person who is running the shop can do the rest on her own, I hope. I've done my bit, anyway.

Now I'm going to do the ironing.