Well, it's really exciting to know that it is b's birthday. He hasn't received any presents from any of us (well, Ian has just come back with some jelly babies from the shop for him), but we all told him to have a happy day and then sent him off in the hailstones to walk the dogs. We're kind like that.
I've been cleaning the house today. Ian picked up all the stuff from the floor of his bedroom and I thus managed to hoover the floor. I also went around with a cloth to surfaces that didn't know what a cloth looks like until today. Poor cloth - it is a bit on the black side.
We didn't get the threatened bad weather, except for a couple of small hail showers, but it may be cold tonight and tomorrow. I'm hoping my greenhouse will look after my seeds, and have covered some of them with the green cloth thing that wrapped our
Easter eggs, for extra protection. I planted a blueberry bush yesterday but think it might be hardy enough to endure a cold spell.
The Polish painter came, as promised. He rang to say it would be 6pm before he came, and so it was. He will get back to me with a quotation later in the week. He has a day job, it seems, so this would be done in the evenings and at weekends.
I'll sign off now until next Sunday at the earliest. Committee meetings will dominate this week, but they'll be over by Saturday evening so I'll be able to relax.
Sunday 6 April 2008
Saturday 5 April 2008
John is a window cleaner
I was obviously in optimistic mood last night. John doesn't cut grass or clean ovens, but he lives up the road in Letty's house and has a van that says he cleans windows. He is going to clean our windows on Wednesday.
Also, the man who made our gate is going to make another one, this time for the side entrance to replace the wooden one that Goldie has attempted to chew apart. He broke his foot 2 months ago, but is now better, so can do his nixers again.
I also got a recommendation on a Polish painter who I rang today to ask for a quotation for painting the outside of the house. He said he'd call at 4pm tomorrow. That makes a change from the normal guys, who promise to turn up if they get a chance 4 weeks later, and then have to be reminded and may never come. I have a feeling this guy will keep his promise.
Ian and I went up to Kilgarvan and cut lots of grass this morning. It was nice and sunny, though the grass was wet. The daffodils are lovely there at the moment. We didn't bring any home, though, as they are fully out so wouldn't last more than a day if we picked them. Ian used the new ride-on mower, and was a dab hand at it. He managed to get pretty close to trees and edges so that I didn't have too much to do with the push mower. We finished at about the same time and were home for a late lunch.
I also cleaned the oven this morning. That means the two tasks I had set myself for the weekend are complete. Now all I have to do are the routine ones, in theory. However, I've done a big chopping of the vegetation on the pergola and then planted lots of things in the greenhouse. I don't think these things are routine, but they do need doing. I suppose I'd better do things like washing and ironing and hoovering and yucky stuff tomorrow.
Of course, tomorrow is b's birthday. I suspect we'll celebrate it in the normal way that we celebrate....
Also, the man who made our gate is going to make another one, this time for the side entrance to replace the wooden one that Goldie has attempted to chew apart. He broke his foot 2 months ago, but is now better, so can do his nixers again.
I also got a recommendation on a Polish painter who I rang today to ask for a quotation for painting the outside of the house. He said he'd call at 4pm tomorrow. That makes a change from the normal guys, who promise to turn up if they get a chance 4 weeks later, and then have to be reminded and may never come. I have a feeling this guy will keep his promise.
Ian and I went up to Kilgarvan and cut lots of grass this morning. It was nice and sunny, though the grass was wet. The daffodils are lovely there at the moment. We didn't bring any home, though, as they are fully out so wouldn't last more than a day if we picked them. Ian used the new ride-on mower, and was a dab hand at it. He managed to get pretty close to trees and edges so that I didn't have too much to do with the push mower. We finished at about the same time and were home for a late lunch.
I also cleaned the oven this morning. That means the two tasks I had set myself for the weekend are complete. Now all I have to do are the routine ones, in theory. However, I've done a big chopping of the vegetation on the pergola and then planted lots of things in the greenhouse. I don't think these things are routine, but they do need doing. I suppose I'd better do things like washing and ironing and hoovering and yucky stuff tomorrow.
Of course, tomorrow is b's birthday. I suspect we'll celebrate it in the normal way that we celebrate....
Thursday 3 April 2008
There is a job vacancy...
... on RecruitIreland at http://www.recruitireland.com/job/?jobID=10012942. It could be of interest to the nation.
Apart from that, life is as normal. Next week is committee week, so numerous trips to Newtown are called for. However, this weekend is free. I may need to cut the grass as Kilgarvan, but a note on the fridge saying "John will do them next week" may suggest that whoever John is may do one of the tasks I have listed for the weekend. This could be:
a) Clean oven
or
b) Grass at Kilgarvan.
I must ask b what he means by the message.
Tootle pip.
Apart from that, life is as normal. Next week is committee week, so numerous trips to Newtown are called for. However, this weekend is free. I may need to cut the grass as Kilgarvan, but a note on the fridge saying "John will do them next week" may suggest that whoever John is may do one of the tasks I have listed for the weekend. This could be:
a) Clean oven
or
b) Grass at Kilgarvan.
I must ask b what he means by the message.
Tootle pip.
Monday 24 March 2008
Easter Monday
It's just after 4pm and the rain has set in for the afternoon. I managed to finish the gardening I was doing out the front before it started and was glad of an excuse to come in and rest my weary bones. It's amazing how much work there can be to do in a small garden. Both front and back gardens are now fairly tidy. The veg garden is ready for seeds once the better weather comes, but the front garden could do with some plants that keep the weeds in check, and I'm not sure what to put there. I'm not really interested in the front garden so don't pay it much attention. That means it is harder work when I do decide it needs tidying.
I've done the ironing too, so I'm going to spend the rest of the day relaxing. b has gone off to join Neil Arlidge and gang on their journey in to Dublin. He will leave the car at Hazelhatch and meet them before they go on an early morning start tomorrow.
Right - off to relax...
I've done the ironing too, so I'm going to spend the rest of the day relaxing. b has gone off to join Neil Arlidge and gang on their journey in to Dublin. He will leave the car at Hazelhatch and meet them before they go on an early morning start tomorrow.
Right - off to relax...
Sunday 23 March 2008
Nearly a week later
Happy Easter to all. I'm afraid that Easter to me means a nice long weekend, enabling a bit more catch-up time for the tired body.
My greenhouse arrived on Tuesday, and Ian and Brian helped a French guy to put it up. It is situated between the boiler shed and the oil tank, with the door facing in towards the back door of the house. This means that it is easy to get to from the house and gets remarkably good sun most of the day. It is quite large for the size of our garden - 6 x 10ft. It will enable me to grow things and to use it for drying washing on a rack on rainy days.
Yesterday I put together the remaining parts of the climbing frame for use as shelving in the greenhouse, making it colourful inside. The poles of the climbing frame are red and the flat parts are yellow, blue and black.
I spent most of yesterday afternoon in the garden, and felt the better for it. I had cut down a lot of vegetation the previous weekend and it was lying in heaps all over the place. It has been dry for the last week so I had a good bonfire. All that remains of the vegetation is ashes and a few sticks that missed the middle of the fire.
Today I will sow some seeds prepared by my mother and labelled by Carolan (I recognise the writing!). The tomato plants are already looking happy in the greenhouse, so these will join them. I'm hoping to acquire more goodies to plant at Yearly Meeting next week, as there are always good things available there.
Ian came into town with me yesterday briefly. He wasn't in good shape, but survived sitting in the car while it was jacked up and had all its tyres changed. Rob had done some work for a tyre place and they couldn't afford to pay him, so he negotiated a set of tyres for my car. That was nice, so my car looks very posh and safe now. The guy seemed to be very grateful to Rob for what he had done for him.
Ian bought a book on designing web pages. It is a serious book, so he is being ambitious about learning how to do it properly from a technical perspective.
It was great to see Carolan during the week, even if only briefly. She met my colleagues from the other J&J companies during a meal at Fitzers. I bet she is currently exhausted as she helps to run JYM.
b is off to Killaloe market this morning. The dogs are currently resting in anticipation of the good run they will have once he has been to the market! Leavy has learnt to stop pulling very quickly with her new lead, but yesteray managed to break it, so I'll try to mend it today.
My greenhouse arrived on Tuesday, and Ian and Brian helped a French guy to put it up. It is situated between the boiler shed and the oil tank, with the door facing in towards the back door of the house. This means that it is easy to get to from the house and gets remarkably good sun most of the day. It is quite large for the size of our garden - 6 x 10ft. It will enable me to grow things and to use it for drying washing on a rack on rainy days.
Yesterday I put together the remaining parts of the climbing frame for use as shelving in the greenhouse, making it colourful inside. The poles of the climbing frame are red and the flat parts are yellow, blue and black.
I spent most of yesterday afternoon in the garden, and felt the better for it. I had cut down a lot of vegetation the previous weekend and it was lying in heaps all over the place. It has been dry for the last week so I had a good bonfire. All that remains of the vegetation is ashes and a few sticks that missed the middle of the fire.
Today I will sow some seeds prepared by my mother and labelled by Carolan (I recognise the writing!). The tomato plants are already looking happy in the greenhouse, so these will join them. I'm hoping to acquire more goodies to plant at Yearly Meeting next week, as there are always good things available there.
Ian came into town with me yesterday briefly. He wasn't in good shape, but survived sitting in the car while it was jacked up and had all its tyres changed. Rob had done some work for a tyre place and they couldn't afford to pay him, so he negotiated a set of tyres for my car. That was nice, so my car looks very posh and safe now. The guy seemed to be very grateful to Rob for what he had done for him.
Ian bought a book on designing web pages. It is a serious book, so he is being ambitious about learning how to do it properly from a technical perspective.
It was great to see Carolan during the week, even if only briefly. She met my colleagues from the other J&J companies during a meal at Fitzers. I bet she is currently exhausted as she helps to run JYM.
b is off to Killaloe market this morning. The dogs are currently resting in anticipation of the good run they will have once he has been to the market! Leavy has learnt to stop pulling very quickly with her new lead, but yesteray managed to break it, so I'll try to mend it today.
Monday 17 March 2008
Happy St Patrick's Day
It's nearly a month since I last blogged and I probably have lots to catch up on. However, since Ian is now at home and Carolan has visited twice in that time, they should be well up to date so I'll stick with current happenings.
It's great to have a day off today, and another one next Monday. As it is too early in the year to go to the boat I'm taking the opportunity to tidy up the garden. The exciting news is that my greenhouse arrives tomorrow. Ian and Brian will have to spend the day helping "the man" to put it up, so I'm hoping to come home to something very fancy.
Last night B and I attended a Slow Food meal in Country Choice and one of our friends there gave me some tomato plants. That will be the first thing to go in the greenhouse, even though these ones have to go outside later in the year.
As usual, the Slow Food event was very enjoyable. We were seated opposite an American couple who have lived in Spain since the 1970s. They were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary and her 60th birthday. He is a food writer, and friend of the American food writer who helps to organise the event, so had his notebook out for the evening. They were good company.
The main meat dish of the day was burgers from Ladybird. It does seem strange to be eating burgers at an event like this, but these were definetly special, as we have experienced many times before when we have bought them. The pavlova for dessert had the most perfectly soft base I've ever come across, with the tiny hint of crispiness on the outside. It was made by Anne Byrne of Brocka-on-the-Water, and we need to find our her secret!
I'm off to do some gardening now, but may blog again later.
It's great to have a day off today, and another one next Monday. As it is too early in the year to go to the boat I'm taking the opportunity to tidy up the garden. The exciting news is that my greenhouse arrives tomorrow. Ian and Brian will have to spend the day helping "the man" to put it up, so I'm hoping to come home to something very fancy.
Last night B and I attended a Slow Food meal in Country Choice and one of our friends there gave me some tomato plants. That will be the first thing to go in the greenhouse, even though these ones have to go outside later in the year.
As usual, the Slow Food event was very enjoyable. We were seated opposite an American couple who have lived in Spain since the 1970s. They were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary and her 60th birthday. He is a food writer, and friend of the American food writer who helps to organise the event, so had his notebook out for the evening. They were good company.
The main meat dish of the day was burgers from Ladybird. It does seem strange to be eating burgers at an event like this, but these were definetly special, as we have experienced many times before when we have bought them. The pavlova for dessert had the most perfectly soft base I've ever come across, with the tiny hint of crispiness on the outside. It was made by Anne Byrne of Brocka-on-the-Water, and we need to find our her secret!
I'm off to do some gardening now, but may blog again later.
Saturday 23 February 2008
A weird week
Work has been very busy, with update meetings for shifts and others going on all week, a fairly stressful process. On Wednesday Ian made the decision to come home, and he is currently trying to get a flight out of Ghana. This is a protracted process.
The death of a long-term attender of Limerick Meeting, Aidan Power, happened this week. The funeral was today at the Meeting House. What a sad occasion. His large family has had a string of misfortunes and deaths in recent years, and this adds to the pattern. We will miss his quiet presence in Meeting.
C is home for the weekend and she and b went to the market this morning. Our fridge and freezer are now full!
The death of a long-term attender of Limerick Meeting, Aidan Power, happened this week. The funeral was today at the Meeting House. What a sad occasion. His large family has had a string of misfortunes and deaths in recent years, and this adds to the pattern. We will miss his quiet presence in Meeting.
C is home for the weekend and she and b went to the market this morning. Our fridge and freezer are now full!
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