A domestic weekend

Let's see, what do I have to show for this weekend? Here's the list of tasks achieved:
- loads of ironing
- pruned back the raspberry canes
- made some sour dough bread
- hoovered around the house
- washed the hall and living room floor
- about 3 loads of washing (not sure how it managed to build up)
- cleaned the oven - a job I hate
Is that all? It seemed more than that.

I've been enjoying lovely Lush baths over the last few weeks. I'm going to have another one in a few minutes. I think that's a relaxing way to finish the weekend.

Next weekend the plan is:
Friday - Jonathan and Ian arrive in Dublin. I go to Late Late show with Jenny.
Saturday - Brian, Carolan and Andy arrive in Dublin. Everyone goes to 90th birthday lunch with Granny and Grandpa. C and A stay in posh hotel, while the rest of us find a floor somewhere. Jonathan goes to Paris.
Sunday - visit Gran for the "Christmas" visit. Carolan and Andy fly back to London. Ian stays in posh hotel. Brian and I head home.
Monday - Ian heads back to Bristol.

Are we back to "normal"?

It was lovely to step out into the garden today and be able to dig up some parsnips. I actually felt like doing some gardening, though I'm afraid I don't have the time this weekend. Maybe I'll get a start on it next weekend. The first thing to do is to cut down the raspberry canes...or, maybe, to clean the slippy patio area...or, have a bonfire....or, write a list of priorities and have the satisfaction of ticking them off as I get the tasks done. It's always important to put an easy task on the list, I find, so that the list reduces quicker.

We've been very lucky in getting through the cold and wet weather. None of the family got stuck while travelling to or from here over the Christmas period. We had no water for a few days, but no broken pipes. The boat is still floating and its engine is fine. My parents' house at Kilgarvan didn't get broken pipes. Some kind person seems to have emptied their water tank for them so that nothing would freeze, so Brian was relieved to find the place dry and warm when he ventured up there yesterday. The one bad thing that happened is that my mother slipped on Thursday and has fractured her wrist - so near to the end of the freeze-up!

We looked at cars today. Only one of the dealers quoted me a price based on trading in my Honda CRV. It was such a low price that it really isn't worth getting a new car even though I would be moving to a lower emissions category. A couple more dealers are due to get back to me on Monday so we'll see whether they are consistently gloomy with their prices.

Pippa is snoring! Leavy is hiding herself on "her" black chair. All is peaceful (well, except for Pippa's snores).

We're going out to treat ourselves to dinner this evening. That's an unusual event so I'm looking forward to it.

Snow, nearly as forecast

We're blanketed in snow today, but you would be hard pressed to make a snowman. It fully covers the ground but isn't very deep. It isn't as cold today (nearly as high as freezing) but the cold ground means that every bit of snow that reaches it is staying there. The birds are very busy feeding themselves outside our kitchen window, and we keep replenishing supplies.

It looks as if we won't have water until temperatures go up to about 4C as the pipes will be slow to melt. Most others on the road have water so Brian has been getting buckets of water from them. The only positive is that it means I can't do any washing, or washing up, or cleaning the cooker, so I've done some other useful tidying things instead.

The bigger freeze

It went down to -8.8 last night, and is still -6.6 at 10.45am as I write. I turned on the washing machine and it didn't work, and we've now discovered that we have no water coming into the house. Disaster! The interesting thing is that we did have water for making coffee this morning so it seems like this has happened since 9am. The Ryans say they have water, so where next?

Snow is due tomorrow, and we're told the cold patch will continue until next weekend at least. Will we have got used to it by then and learnt how to cope, or will everything grind to a halt? We've had cold patches like this before, in 1964 and 1983, and they went on for longer....

Emptying house

We're down to 3 of us plus the dogs at the moment, and Ian is heading off on Friday morning, weather permitting. Kristin seems to have made the boat just on time. Her bus was due to be in Dublin by 6ish, but actually arrived just before 8pm. The traffic was chaotic due to snow. This was on time to get the bus out to Dublin port, so we assume she will be safely on the boat by now.

So, it's back to routine from next week. Today is Nollaig na mBan, or little Christmas, the twelfth day of Christmas. Traditionally in Ireland it is a day for women to put their feet up and hand over the household to the men for the day. I've been to some nice gatherings on this day the last few years so it is disappointing that the cold weather has meant this year's plan has been cancelled. I was looking forward to meeting some interesting women.

Back to work

With temperatures varying between -3 and -4C this morning, I returned to work. I settled in quicker than I expected to and can see this is going to be a very busy year. It's snowing lightly outside at the moment, though it has not been too cold during the day.

They valiantly go...

Carolan and Andy headed off onto the icy roads and have made it as far as Dublin. Let's hope tomorrow isn't too bad for their journey through Wales and England.

It's very depressing that we are coming to the end of a lovely, peaceful holiday. Thanks to everyone for making it so nice.

Well, we've survived 2009

Indeed we have survived it well. What I'd like for 2010 is more free time to visit family and to spend in leisure on Knocknagow. Unfortunately that would mean having to give up what is a lucrative occupation, but maybe this year I will gain the strength to do something different, and be ready for the consequences.

Kristin arrived yesterday. It was a well planned surprise for Ian, and the real reason I was attempting to make a nut roast. So, the full family is here now, all 8 of us (that includes the 2 dogs!). It's very cold outside so I think we'll just batten down the hatches today and enjoy the splendid feast Brian has planned for us.

We'll also enjoy the second of the "Three men in a boat" series on BBC 2. They've picked a nice selection of modes of transport so far - a barge driven by a Bollinder engine, an amphibious car, a cycle-rail vehicle, and now they are on Reggie Goodbody's amazing wooden sailing boat. Mullingar pulled out all the stops for them, with a very good-humoured festival in their honour. It's a new view of Mullingar, and may help to show the citizens of Mullingar the value of the Royal Canal route once it is re-opened for the full circle.

I've just been listening to a fascinating, and emotional, interview with Lord Mountbatten's grandson. He was on the fishing boat that was blown up by the IRA, killing, inter alia, his twin brother and his grandfather. I'm sure it is available for listening to on Radio Eireann on the Ryan Tubridy show for today. I recommend spending 20 minutes of your time to hear it.