Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

And welcome to the month of September, but with it comes a sting of cold that we didn’t expect,which sent us reaching for our warm fleeces, boots and socks. But every cloud has a silver lining ,they say that a heatwave is on it’s way. So we live in hope.  During this cool spell, it isn’t easy to refrain from  checking the wardrobe and go through all the lovely clothes that we never wore this year. The catchy little two-piece that you bought at the right price for that wedding that was coming up in June, or the few changes for that four-day outing in July.  The strappy sandals that went with everything, still in the box. It all goes to prove that we only dress to impress other people. We went through the past four or five months, with only a few changes of clothes and the plainest ones we had, the reason being that nobody would be seeing them only ourselves.  Well now at least we’ll have to change a little anyway, if we are to get out the warmer things of many colours. Another legacy that we have inherited from Covid19 is that we can no longer lick our fingers, pick a seed from between our teeth or so, because the vile taste of the much used sanitizer prevents us from relishing such simple pleasures. Even the last bite of food into the mouth doesn’t go down without it’s trade mark. Let the assurance that we are doing our bit to keep safe, be our consolation.

September 18 is National Culture Day. It’s that day set aside every year when everybody, or community , or team etc. are invited to put their best foot forward in an effort to portray their own place to the best advantage. Not to be outdone our own Marie Twomey is up there among the best of them with her Community Singers. She never fails to encourage the not-so-young to take an important place in the life of her Community. So she has entered the popular CD which she made with the group some years ago. They asked for more,  so at midday last Saturday she gathered her flock and dressed in smart black/white outfits they performed a rousing version of Glory Glory  at Tubrid well in brilliant sunshine while being expertly filmed by the trusty Sean Radley.  So roll on Culture Day on September 18th, and wish them the best of luck.

[read more …] “Eily’s Report – 1st September”

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

I ate some of my very own potatoes today. The little spud that I took from the bottom of the bag in March grew up between the flowers and shrubs on the bed and produced some lovely tubers for me to enjoy. I have some more scattered around the garden amongst the flowers that I will call on whenever I need some lovely flowery spuds for my dinner. It was a beautiful day, warm, calm  and so inviting to sit out with a friend and admire the flowers and the greenness of the lawn and the fields beyond to watch the birds swirling high and low and playing bird games with one another. I don’t feed the birds in summer but I like to give them any leftover breadcrumbs and it’s great to watch them gobble them up. The weather forecast is for another  storm this time called Francis and that made me all the more determined to make the best possible use of the present. There was no use in I dwelling on the peril to come  maybe I’ll sleep through it and my worry would have been a waste of something lovely. Having taken a tip from TV gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin I planted a couple of potatoes in a bed of compost in a bucket and if all he says is true I’ll have a new tubers for Christmas. Even if I don’t  the anticipation will keep me going over the weeks ahead. I finished the last of my peas today and took down the wire and stakes that kept tall and unbending against wind and rain while I relished their product  when passing their way. None of them reached the pot they are so sweet and wholesome when eaten  fresh off the mother  plant.  Most fruits  have done whatever  they were going to do  by now. The yields were good, but the weather not so kind, but still those who caught the ball on the hop and picked lots of blackberries, raspberries,  strawberries and gooseberries  I’m not a jam maker myself and there’s no nicer gift  than a jar of succulent new seasons jam. The strong winds over the past week put many a plant to the test, especially tall plants. I found it a wonderful season for roses. The blossoms just kept coming on after deadheading.  Sunflowers which can reach over six feet succumbed miserably to the force of the elements. But the smaller more compact little varieties lived to fight another day and are there in full colour to prove it. Buíochas le Dia.   It’s better to light a candle than curse the dark, so instead of moaning about the floods swilling through my yard I bought a large box of cheap detergent and spread around and left the torrents to do the rest. And now I have a lovely clean yard instead of a slippery slimy  dangerous one.

[read more …] “Eily’s Report – 25th August”

Dia is Mhuire díobh go léir a chairde, and welcome to my report.

The month of August is certainly living up to it’s name as being a season of floods and change with many places in the County paying the price with their homes and places of business destroyed by flash floods. But it is not all doom and gloom, there is always something to be cheerful about and the recent past being no exception. We have to put all sob stories aside and think of  happy things.  Take the two young men who saved young lives at sea  during the week. One lad in Dublin threw his own safety to the wind and jumped in and saved two youngsters from being drowned. Meanwhile off the West Coast a young lad out on the fishing boat with his Dad, was the first to spot the two ladies as they clung to a lobster pot for 15 long hours  and what young lad of his age wouldn’t change places with him  for being the knight in shining armor to rescue two damsels in distress from a watery grave in the deep. All night the country held it’s breath and prayed that the cousins would be found safe.  The pulse of the nation took a leap next morning  at the wonderful news that they were found safe and well . No doubt the two heroic lads will have a great story to tell for the rest of their lives. bBuíochas le Dia.

[read more …] “Eily’s Report 18th August”