Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my weekly report.
All the headlines both on paper and the media carry warnings of Storm Barra. A severe thing by all accounts. Our Millstreet website carries a picture to show us where we stand and by all accounts we’d better listen to the what they’re telling us . Great if it’s not as bad as they say,but better be sure than sorry. We can all see a few things that we can do to improve our situations in times like these. As I’ve said so many times before how we’ve become so dependent on so many things that we have no command over any more. It wasn’t like that in the old days. Not everything worked, we just didn’t have everything but what we had we were able to manage. Today if the car won’t go you can do nothing with it until you try for help, whereas in days of old if the horse or donkey stopped you gave it a little rest or a poke of the stick and away they went. If the paraffin lamp quenched for the want of oil you remained in the dark and did with the light of the fire to get around or just sit and talk. Today if the power goes out the fridge will stop so will the freezer and food will rot and there is nothing you can do until the right person comes along to restore it. Many of us are using oil heating now, it’s clean and efficient and so labour saving but what happens if the ‘light’ goes out, there is no power to pump the stuff in. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think that the great Henry Ford died of the cold when a cold spell happened when he was living in his ultra modern country mansion ,which was fitted with all the mod cons of the day. The heating system died and so did he of the cold. A sobering thought. I’m an oil freak now, enjoying the benefits of it all, but I’m never be without a supply of smokeless coal, kindling and firelighters in the shed.
The 45Drive due to be held in the Canon O’Donovan Centre this evening has been cancelled on account of the weather.
All our Church services are cancelled for today and who knows about tomorrow. Thursday is the eight of December. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. A Feast Day of Obligation. Vigil Mass on Wednesday evening is cancelled. December 8th was a very important day some years ago. Everybody went to Mass as they did for Sunday and then it was a day when people went Christmas shopping, Others wrote their Christmas cards that day while more people made their all important Christmas Cake on December 8th. Modern day living has put an end to all of that but there is still nothing to stop each one of us to make it special in our own way. Fundraising has been taken to a new level, judging by what we see in the papers and on websites. Rural communities are getting together and reaching out to distant places to bring the needs of the poor and the homeless to people there who may not be in a convenient place to give. Collection points for hampers of dried foods are getting very popular and well organised. Our Annual Church Gate St.Vincent de Paul church Gate collection will be held at all Masses this weekend, December 11/12. The Maureen O’Sullivan Hamper appeal collection point will be at the Car Park in the West End on Friday December 10th from 1.30 and on Saturday from 11 am. A wide range of tinned and dried foods will be gladly accepted . Penny Dinners and Simon are good causes which keep coming up and we must try and give what we can. The sad thing is that there could be a needy case close by but because people can’t bring themselves to ask and they go without. Of course the chief thing about giving is that it’s done in such a tactful way that it doesn’t rob the recipient of the last thing they value most, which is their pride.
I must tell you about my trip to Cork last week, the follow up to my Covid test the few days earlier. Because I had to be in to the CUH by 9.30 am on Thursday, I had to go the night before. From my previous trip I was aware of all the roadblocks and delays which was a great help. We arrived at the Hospital on time where I took my bag from Geraldine and met plenty of lovely staff to show me where to go. Soon I was in my bed all gowned up in a long dormitory type of ward with lots of beds like mine and people in some. I got nice tea and toast while I was waiting and they came and did that heart test where they put all those sticky pads on your upper body area. That done they put that clip on my finger to test my pulse, I think, and a few more things before pushing my bed down along and into the operating room, for my angiogram test. I didn’t feel the needle going into my wrist after I’d gotten a local anesthetic. There was a big screen on my right and the medical people a man and two girls worked from my right ,while looking at the screen the whole time. There were a few different movements but not severe as they worked and after about twenty five minutes they began to relax and withdraw. Oh my God I said to myself ‘tis all over, they’re finished and then the chief man said “that’s it Eily, we can’t do it, it won’t work,because your face may not give away your age but your veins do, I’m afraid.” They are too wrinkled and we cannot proceed. It was my own choice to try the other hand, but again no go. Because of my breathing problem they could not do the test through my groin because I’d have to lie flat on my back for some hours, which I couldn’t do. Being interested in their work I asked them if I could see the screen that they were looking at and they were only too glad to show me my problem and it was easy to see. Disappointed I suppose, but not overly, I was wheeled back to my room, given more tea and a choice of sandwiches and was told that they were giving medication for my ailment. You must have someone to collect you and they convey you right to your car. No driving for 24 hours and lots of advise about what to do and not to do in the coming days. On arriving at Ger’s I went straight to bed and slept for a couple of hours. Didn’t have any mind for food for a couple of days. But drove home next evening where I went into bed and slept I was tired but they gave me painkillers for any pains that I had, such as where the needles were and so on. I also got the medication which they prescribed and it’s working already. I’m only telling you this, because I found it very hard to get the full story from anyone before I went in and to talk to someone who has been there can often help. Funny when you have an experience like mine, you think you’re the only one on whom this angiogram test ever failed and the minute you tell it, you hear of umpteen others who had the same experience. It only proves once more, the importance of talking to people.
On my journey I had the CD on in the car which Paddy Murphy compiled in aid of our local National Schools. It’s a gem. Get it and play it in the car. The songs and the singers, most of them totally unaffected, just like what your hear at an impromptu gathering after a country Station or Threshing. It will shorten your journey. The first supply sold out fast and a new lot ordered. It would make a lovely Christmas Gift, also on sale our local 2022 Calendar another stocking filler at €7 all proceeds to Air Ambulance.
I must tell you about my shoes. Because we have no well stocked shoe shop in town I went to Mallow in mid November to buy a pair, which i did. They cost €110, and they told me in the shop to bring them back if they were not right after fitting them I thought they were fine but when I came home and wore them around the place I discovered that they were hurting and old injury in my foot. So a week or two later I drove back with them complete with my credit card paper work. There was a different lady on, but it made no difference she took them without a bother gave me back my paperwork and home I came happy with my business done. As you know I was never good at the books so I get family members to look into my bank things for me now and then. Noreen especially. So as she has my details on line she looked up whatever I wanted to find out about and then she came across the deal of the shoes. I got a no small shock when she said, “They charged you twice for your shoes. Instead of signing the money back to you,they charged you again.” Bringing it to E220 in their favour. With my procedure coming on at the hospital it was put on the back burner until this weekend. She found the number of the shop and rang them to find that they had found their mistake and were at their wits ends trying to find me. They went through their cctv without success and were overjoyed when they got her call, with my card she related the details over the phone and my money is on it’s way into my account. I don’t know what kind of lesson this is for my readers but you just can’t be too careful and we the older ones often need help.
Here are the results of this week’s lotto draw which was held on Sunday night. Numbers drawn were 2,7,14, 32, and the jackpot was not won. €100 went to Cormac Dineen. Claracleagh, the seller was Reen’s and they got €50 sellers prize, €50 went to Brendan Cotter, Liscahane, €20 each to Pat and Jerry Keale, Marie and Bally Gang, The Healy Family Keale, Hannah, Hugh and Roisin, Lackabawn. Margaret Rohen, Lackabawn. Karen Stanley. Kilmeedy and Dan Crowley, Minor Row, Next Draw Sunday December 12th. Jackpot €18.000.
That’s about it for this week, in the wake of Storm Barra, I wish you all the very best and may the Blessing of God see us all safely through it.
Slán ,Eily.
