PAINTING

After looking at the painting below I decided to take out the waves. This style of painting is not my usual style but I decided to try to paint in brighter colours as I love bright colours myself, its hanging in the gallery in Wicklow, lets see if someone likes it!

WICKLOW HARBOUR

RAILING AGAINST THE RAIN

The Leinster Fleadh is being held in Wicklow Town this weekend and as the town is full of people us artists were invited to show our wares around the railings on the main street by Wicklow Town Council.

Myself and a half dozen others spent today anxiously watching the weather - anticipating rain and having plastic sheets ready to cover our pictures when it rained. We made it to around 3.30 when the heavens opened and then we had to call it a day.

The streets were full of people and some artists had quite a few sales (including myself) so it was not a total washout!

Tomorrow I am thankfully indoors - on duty at the Greystones Arts Exhibition where I have three pictures.

RED SAILS

I went round by the harbour on my way home after the dentist this morning to cheer myself up and found the harbour full of red sails. It really is a lovely sight. The red sails belong to a sailing school and I love to watch them sailing to and fro around the harbour under the watchful eye of their instructors.

I quite forgot to feel sorry for myself!

SAILING SCHOOL IN WICKLOW HARBOUR

WICKLOW HARBOUR

This boat with the lighthouse in the background is one of my favourite scenes to paint

THE FLOWERING BOAT

BACK TO PAST

Geoffrey is doing his extra bit in the new series of the Tudors, poor thing had to get up at 5 o'clock this morning to be on set early, it will be a long day and very tiring especially in the heatwave we are having at the moment. I have had to pull up my socks and get back to housework and cooking, I will try not to grumble!

MR AND MRS ROBIN

Our pair of robins had disappeared a few weeks ago but are now back flying to and fro to their nest in the ivy with beaks loaded with worms. We wondered if robins reared two families.

It is really interesting and funny to watch them as they have got quite cheeky and do not fly away as much now when they see one of us in the garden or at the window in the kitchen. Most of the time they fly to the nest in stages, flying from shrub to post to shrub until they get near the nest, although the other day I saw daddy robin on the grass in front of the nest with a huge worm in his beak and when he took off vertically up to the nest he was not able to make it and had to reverse and fly back around in stages until he was near the nest and could fly in to it. They have also chased off all other birds and when some poor birds do venture into the garden they fly at them and create such a noise the visitors soon fly off.

SELLING ART

I spent Saturday and Sunday on the boardwalk between O'Connell Bridge and The Halpenny Bridge selling my pictures and cards - with Geoffrey's help. It was not a successful weekend for me, only selling some of my cards. This was only the second weekend for this venture and I hope it picks up in the future. The weather was not very kind to us but I met some interesting people and got to talk to fellow artists and pick up tips from them, which is no bad thing.

Monday was spent recuperating!

ON THE LIFFEY BOARDWALK

GEOFFREY ON THE LIFFEY BOARD WALK

WILD LIFE

Growing up in the countryside I am more aware of the wild life around me than city dwellers and love to see the antics of our animals friends.

Coming back on the ferry from Wales the ship was surrounded by a pod of dolphins a really lovely sight, but the image that has remained with me from my trip to Wales was the daft duck on a lake in St. Fagan's Folk Park. Watching this black and white duck lying on his back flecking his webbed feet, gently floating in amongst his upright brothers and sisters was funny to see.

JUST DUCKY!

MOVING HOUSES

Simon and I are just back from Wales having gone over to Adam to help him move houses - his new home and church.

His new house is much bigger than his last house but full of steps with a marble one leading from the hall into the diningroom which interested me. There were boxes everywhere as he has gathered a lot of stuff over the years and it will take some time for him to sort himself out. We (mostly Simon I admit) worked very hard but only made a small difference to the house. He has moved into a small terrace opposite a hugh grave yard, his two cats have settled in well but next door has five cats and there is much swishing of tails when they see them from a window!

His licensing service was a low key service which was fine as it was not too long! One of his friends from theological college came down from Bristol for the service and sat with Simon and myself during the service and it was funny to see how many people only talked to him (as he had his dog collar on) and ignored us! A coach full of parishioners from his "old" parish came to the service which was lovely.

His new parishioners are very friendly and laid on a spread for us in the church hall after the service. Watching Adam working his way through the room chatting to his new parishioners amazed me - a bit like the queen, he had a word for everyone!

ADAM AFTER HIS LICENSING SERVICE

ADAM WITH ANDREW, HIS VICAR AND ROBERT, HIS ARCHBISHOP

MOVING

Am off today to Wales to give Adam a helping hand with moving to his new house/parish. I usually travel over to him on my own but this time Simon is coming with me as he is needed for the heavy stuff! It will be nice to have a travelling companion.

WICKLOW HARBOUR - SUNSET

EXPERIMENTING!

I have been experimenting lately with bright paints working in a very different style, not sure about it though.

Below is one of the results - the others are in the bin!

WICKLOW HARBOUR

AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR GARDEN

A robin family have taken up residence in the ivy growing on the wall of our garden. It is lovely to watch the parents flying too and fro feeding the babies in the nest. Daddy robin does most of the feeding flying down to the grass and dragging worms out of the ground and flying back to the nest. He often spends a few minutes perched on a post in between worms and tonight both parents perched on adjoining posts "talking" to each other - you can just imagine the conversation " I can't wait until they fly the nest, I'm absolutely worn out......"!

FRIEDA

BURNT OFFERINGS

I am NEVER getting the dinner again! The casserole I made yesterday overflowed all around the sides of the dish and down onto the floor of the oven, I couldn't figure out why there was a smell of burning as I checked the meat and it looked ok but when I took it out of the oven I saw what had happened.

I have spent all day today cleaning the oven and the casserole dish and I have a headache.

HAPPY DAZE

I had to get the dinner tonight as Geoffrey was out again doing his extra bit in Fair City.

This is a chore for me as I hate cooking so after putting a casserole in the oven I was grumpily peeling spuds in the sink which is just under a window overlooking our small garden. I heard a blackbird call and looked up to see a male blackbird perched on the shrub growing on the end wall, we inspected each other through the window and then he hopped down on the lawn all the time carefully checking around him and then hopped under the garden bench and started feeding on the bird food in the grass there. As I turned back to my task I found I was smiling and we all had spuds for dinner that night!

FASTER PLEASE!

I have decided that the sooner Simon learns to drive and passes his test the better.

Yesterday Geoffrey spent all day on the set of Fair City and came home exhausted around 11 o'clock, shortly after he came in Simon rang from Dublin asking could he be picked up from the Luas stop in Sandyford so I got ready to pick him up. Geoffrey tried to explain how to get to the stop and I was just not sure so as it was now after midnight we both decided to go - me driving and Geoffrey resting in the passenger seat!

He's a good chap and I do not begrudge having to pick him up - it was just the day that was in it and the hour of the night, its not a good idea really to have a bewildered middle aged woman wandering around the street of Dublin after midnight!

GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT!

Simon has settled in at home and has decided to finally learn to drive which I agree is good as he has the time now while he is looking for work.

We sat down and discussed it, he asked his father to teach him - phew! I would not have made a good teacher - ok that's settled. Now which car would he like to learn in? I held my breath as he sat first in Geoffrey's car and then in mine (reminds me of Golidlocks and the three bears!) and then asked if he could learn to drive in mine as it is the smaller of the two and easier to manoeuvre - of course I said yes, I love my little car but there are times in life when you have to give in gracefully!

STAR STUCK?

Eating my dinner tonight - which Geoffrey had prepared earlier (I hate cooking remember) which was a chicken risotto, I noticed something sparkling in the rice. I picked it up and found that it was a small gold metal star! How it got there we do not know and I suppose if I had swallowed it I probably would not have noticed as it was small but it had sharp edges so maybe not!

Geoffrey can now claim to be a star cook!

FINALLY FINISHED MY PAINTING!

THE SEAGULL AND THE TRAWLER

ME, MYSELF AND NO ONE

Today I am on my own in the house which is great - Geoffrey is out again acting in Fair City and Simon is down in Tipperary with his girlfriend and I have the whole house to myself - GREAT! I have been trying for about two weeks to finish a painting which I can finally do now. I might even have time to start another one!

OUT AND ABOUT

Spent part of yesterday displaying my wares on the railings of a local park as part of Arts Festival Week.

I met some lovely people and it really gives me a boost when someone says they like my art. I did sell a small amount of my cards and prints which added to the day. I was joined later in the day by two artist friends and we sat and nattered in the sunshine - all in all a good day.

A STATE OF CHASSIS

Simon's home and the house is not the same, Geoffrey and I have had the house to ourselves for years and we are all three trying to fit around each other now and its not easy. Simon is not bad considering he has been living an independent life away from home for sometime. For the last four or five days I have been trying to finish a painting but it is still there unfinished. Yesterday Simon was in the attic sorting out all his stuff which had been put away for the year he was away - every so often - BANG BANG! as he dropped something, so I gave up!

His girlfriend has been staying here for the last few days and they have just left for her home in Tipperary so I will go back and try and finish the painting.

FAITH RESTORED

Sometimes things happen that really restore your faith in humankind.

My phone rang yesterday and this Welsh lilting voice explained that he was ringing from Fforestfach - which is just down the road from Adam's house - and that he had found a phone and he was ringing the number called "mum's phone" he said he had scrolled through over 100 numbers and felt his best bet was "mum"! When I explained that Adam was the curate in the nearby parish he said that he would go down immediately to the parish hall and return the phone - this he duly did which was really lovely of him and a much relieved Adam had his phone back which as you can imagine had so many contacts on it that if lost would have made life for him very difficult not to mention the cost of the phone itself.

THE WANDERER RETURNS

Simon came home yesterday, when he arrived he gave me a big hug which was lovely but he felt so skinny! He and Marie Therese looked exhausted, they had flown directly from Tokyo through Heathrow and had been on the move since 11 the previous night.

It is great to have him home and I am not complaining but he is eating rings around him! He has fasinating stories to tell and he and I have spent the day looking at his photographs (the modern way on his laptop!) as I have been to most of the places photographed.

PARADISE?

Simon rang yesterday from Auckland as he and Marie Therese were flying out to Nadi in Fiji the next day and because the resort they are going to does not have electricity and his phone has just died he will be out of contact for about a week. Slipped in amongst the conversation he talked about the political situation there at the moment as there is a bit of unrest going on. I am not to worry, they checked the latest on the situation there and registered with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and they are going straight to their resort and staying there! Not to worry! right!

FLIRTY GERTIE!

IT'S A GREAT LIFE!

Its a great life being an extra!

Yesterday Geoffrey was paid to spend the day drinking Guinness and singing with a local band in a well known Wicklow pub. A Belgian soap company have been filming in Ireland and they wanted a group of Wicklow "locals" to drink and generally look as if they were enjoying themselves in a pub setting - which of course Geoffrey was well able to do! He came home with a smile on his face having had an enjoyable day and being paid for it.

I spent the day trying to paint sheep - I have a commission to paint farm animals - cows and sheep, the cows were no problem but I am having difficulty getting the sheep right - at least one of us had a good day.

THE EASTER BUNNY

AS ITS NEARLY EASTER

TURN AROUND AND ...........................

Watching Adam getting ready for a service still feels strange, as he robes up he slowly changes and I see him in another light.

GETTING READY FOR WORK

HOME TO THE UNFAMILIAR

I havn't been posting lately as I have been over in Wales with Adam.

Geoffrey met me off the boat on Thursday, the sun was setting and he strangely had his wrap around dark glasses on so I did not study him until I got into the car and when he turned towards me I got a shock! For most of our married life he has had a beard and when he turned around this strange pale face was looking at me and I have to say I do not like it, he looks much better with a beard. He has had to shave it off for his latest movie part which is set in the 1930's where he was told they do not have beards. Its a strange life living with a movie extra!

LOVE IS BLIND?!!

Geoffrey has been nursing me patiently all week, he must have the patience of a saint! When I am in pain I get VERY grumpy and when I cannot eat (I love my food!) I get even grumpier so this week was a trial in patience for him but he passed with flying colours. I don't know what I would do without him though.

COLOUR ME BLUE!

I have spent most of the day today trying to dye a sweatshirt I bought a while ago in Malta. It was a pale grey and I had got some paint on the inner sleeve so I thought I would be clever and dye it dark blue - right! As I said I had bought it in Malta so it had another language on the label so did not know exactly what material it was - first mistake. I have dyed things before very successfully but followed the instructions carefully as usual. Our washing machine is in our garage so I have spent the day going in and out to the machine, each cycle takes ages. When I finally took the garment out it was a muddy grey and the rubber around the door of the machine was covered in blue dye - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

LEAVING THE FLOCK

Adam is moving from the small parish he has been in for around two years to take up another position as curate in another parish. He told his congregation this morning which he was not looking forward to doing and talking to him just now I get the impression that it was a shock for them and that both he and the congretation are sad that he is leaving.

We have been having long conversations on the phone about this and I do try and give advice being very much aware that I know nothing about the inner workings of the church and also aware that it is important not to dictate but to listen and try and get Adam to tease out what he wants as we talk, I hope that first of all that I have been of help and comfort and that the decisions he has made while we talked fulfill his needs and that he will have just as lovely a congretation in the new parish as he has in his present parish.

KILMACURRAGH WOODS

Spent this morning wandering around Kilmacurragh Woods - a lovely old garden near where I live - I got muddy and wet but no pain no gain!

SNOWDROPS

FLOWERY VISTAS

A LOVELY CARPET OF SNOWDROPS
AND DAFFODILS AGAINST A
BACKROP OF THE WICKLOW
COUNTRYSIDE - LOVELY

A ROUND THE WOODS

I HOPE THEY LEAVE THESE LOGS
WHERE THEY ARE AS THEY MAKE
A GOOD DISPLAY

MAN AT WORK

I came across this man working away
at the side of the lake, the
reflection of his yellow jacket
in the lake made a bright splash
of colour

BACK TO THE FOLD?

Simon is coming home - there is something wrong somehow about your grown-up son having to live with his parents. I am really torn about this, delighted that Simon is coming home after nearly a year away but worried about him having to live at home for a good length of time while he looks for work that will be difficult to find. Geoffrey and I have settled into a routine in the house and I hope we will all get on.

WICKLOW SAILING CLUB AT NIGHT

DO SEAGULLS HAVE KNEES?

Looking at the photographs I took the other day I noticed the gull's legs and I got to wondering if they have knees?! Come to think of it I have never seen a seagull kneeling!

A SEA GULL'S KNEES?

ROSEMANTIC

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

OVERLOOKED

Today has been warm and sunny and my feet lead me to the harbour when the weather is like that and when I saw a yacht tacking too and fro across the harbour I started taking shots. After a while I felt I was being watched and looked around and spotted this fellow below. He was quite friendly and posed for me - I think he is lovely!

A SEE VIEW

RECYCLING?

I knew I would do it one day and I have!

I have been tackling the housework every so often which I HATE HATE HATE. The other day I had cleared out all the junk from the "study" and put some by for recycling so today when I gathered it up I just dumped it down in the recycling centre without checking it. Later when I was printing my cards I ran out of ink and found that I had thrown out a full cartridge by mistake, so no printing today - damn!

CHICKEN-LIKEN!

Today I spent some time in the gallery doing my members duty behind the counter and came home at tea time cold and ready for a quiet sitdown. I was comfortably dozing in front of the television when there was a hugh rumbling bang. I shot out of the chair thinking the roof was caving in. When my heart finally stopped thumping and I calmed down I realized that it was just a hugh clap of thunder, I felt a bit silly - just like chicken-liken in the children's story believing that the sky was falling down!

A WINTER WONDERLAND

It snowed today and I dashed out with my camera to take photograps. A blanket of snow changes everything, I haven't seen snow for years and the children on our estate were very excited, running around gathering up the snow, I suppose they have never seen snow before.

SNOW WEIGHT

BERRY COLD

FAIR CITY

Sitting watching "Fair City" last night (which I had recorded earlier as I was out) a figure crossed across the screen that I recognised - Geoffrey! It was not a total surprise as I knew he had done some outdoor scenes a few weeks ago and I had been waiting to see him on the "big screen". I can't wait to see the new series of the "Tudors" with him in it - in the background of course.

I am going to have great fun introducing him "this is my husband, he is an extra"! My sister introduces her husband as "my first husband", now I can go one better!

THIS ACTING LARK!

Geoffrey was off again acting yesterday in Fair City. He was doing a "Noddy" piece for them - driving up and down the set in his little red car!

GIFTS FROM ABOVE

Adam and I went across to North Dublin yesterday to visit a relation who has been in hospital for a long time, a visit I find difficult and upsetting. Adam is a wonderful companion to have on a visit like this as he prays so gently with them and it is amazing to see the results sometimes but this visit was however not so peaceful and we left a little upset. We were driving out of the hospital grounds and I was looking at the sea and saw the beautiful sunset - and the day settled into perpective

SUNSET OVER NORTH DUBLIN BAY

MY LAST CHRISTMAS PRESENT

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

FAMILY TRADITIONS

Like all families we have certain things we do at given times - I suppose you could call them rituals. On New Year's Eve Geoffrey always heats up the mince pies and sausage rolls he has made earlier and we have them with a drink or two around the fire as the New Year is rung in. This year we were missing Simon but he managed to ring just before our midnight and was with us so to speak as the year was rung in, it made it so much better. He sounded homesick, I will have to try and ring him today or should I say tonight as there is a ten hour difference so I will ring him late tonight. He had been watching the fireworks over Sydney Harbour earlier and was just going to have his breakfast as it was Boxing Day with him, I think by the sound of his voice he had been up all night!

GUESS WHO LOOKED AFTER HIS TEETH!

SIMON WITH FRIEND

EVERYBODY IN ADAM'S HOUSE HAS TO HELP THEMSELVES TO BREAKFAST!

SOMBODY'S SOMEONE

We all go through life being introduced as "daugher of..." "wife of .....", I have finally hit the jackpot - look what I was at the parish children's Christmas party!

TAGGED

LET US BEGIN .........

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS!

Went along to the children's Christmas party which Adam organises every year in the church hall and took some photos - the noise level was something else. There was a group of angels there though!

LITTLE ANGELS

THE CHIMNEY POTS OF WICKLOW

Decided to paint some more chinmey pots from the roofs of Wicklow, these pots are on some houses coming down Church Hill, I like looking up at the roofs of Wicklow as some of the roofs and chinmey pots are really beautiful and some quite ornate, so much nicer than a row of semi-detached houses all the same.

WHERE'S FATHER CHRISTMAS?

BODY LANGUAGE

This is a picture of Simon taken in Eyers Rock Australia and I must admit when I first saw it,looking at it he looks sad and cold - funny I thought. I went back to his travel log and read it again and concluded that the picture had been taken after he had been up before dawn and had hiked a long way as he had detailed in his log. He is like me not a morning person and I would say that this was not his idea of fun but his description and photographs of the sunrise would have made it all worthwhile.

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE?

SIMON'S NEW HOBBY!

Finally had time to go and read and check all the photos that Simon and Marie Therese (his girlfriend/travelling companion) have uploaded onto their blogs and found this photograph of Simon industrially blowing into a didgeridoo! The last time I saw him with cheeks like that was when he was a baby!

LONG WINDED

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

This year because of the present economic situation everyone is gloomy and the shops are not very busy but I have a special reason this year to be a little sad. As Simon is in Australia and moving from place to place I cannot send him a Christmas present. I know its silly and he is safe and still around but I'm sad I can't include him in my present giving.

DO THRUSHES SUNBATHE?

Yesterday was an awful day weatherwise, cold, wet and windy so when I got up this morning and saw the sun shining I was happy. Having my breakfast I glanced out of the patio doors and there on the cotoneaster was a big fat thrush sitting on a top branch all puffed up with the sun shining on his/her breast. I watched him/her for a few minutes and there was not a stir from him/her, so I ask myself do thrushes sunbathe?

A HARD DAY'S WORK!

I had to laugh when Geoffrey finally came home around 9 o'clock tonight after being on set all day. I asked him if he was tired and he laughed and said "not really I spent the day in bed". Apparently the scene shot today was in a mock up hospital and he was a patient and did spend the day in bed!

WICKLOW TOWN

Wicklow Town where I live has lots of opportunities for an aspiring painter with lots of lovely views and a harbour. It is a very hilly town, very hilly, even the fittest of us end up gasping for breath when we get to the upper car park over the town where there is a sweeping view of the coastline with the harbour and the Murrough spread out below. I often go up there especially on a sunny day - not on foot though!

Below is that scene painted in acrylic by me.

WICKLOW TOWN

A GOOD DAY'S WORK

Spent today doing what I most enjoy, painting with watercolours.

The painting below reminds me of my childhood on our farm, which I worked on with my Dad as soon as I was able. My Dad was funny, he wouldn't expend too much energy unless he had to! So the man on the horizan sending the dog to check the sheep was typical of how my Dad worked. Sheep are a pain to look after as they have to be checked very often as their feet suffer especially in winter and my Dad trained his sheepdogs to do extraordinary things - one dog was able to go down the laneway, open a bar gate by leaning on the bar/catch and fetching the cows home at milking time all by herself.

CHECKING THE SHEEP

FLYING INTO A STORM

I really thought I had met my maker last Monday flying over to stay with my son in Wales. I was on a flight from Dublin to Cardiff when we hit a storm, I have flown thousands of miles but I have never experienced anything like this and was never so frightened in my life. Twice the plane bounced very hard, it was like hitting a hard surface under the plane, very jarring and then the pilot turned the plane sharply nearly on its side, I really cant say how often this happened and how long it went on for as I was trying to hold it all together and not disgrace myself! I kept leaning against the shoulder of the man next to me just to have human contact (as I was travelling alone) and he kept pulling away! He and everyone else were very frightened but funny enough everyone was very quiet. One poor woman was covered in wine as some bottles fell down from her locker. I have to say the hostesses were great smiling the whole time and going up and down (with great difficulty) reasuring us all. The pilot came on the intercom when we landed apoligising for the "moderate" turbulance and said he hoped it had not put us off flying with the airline again and then laughed! I was the first off the plane and didnt stop shaking for about ten minutes after that!

I AM SO GLAD I AM GOING BACK HOME BY BOAT!

HOW LONG DO BLACKBIRDS LIVE?

For the last three years we have had a male blackbird jealously guarding a large berried climber during the winter on the back wall of our small garden. Every year he appears around this time when the berries have really started to come out and attacks all birds, including female blackbirds who dare to land on the shrub. Often there has been quite a fight with other birds and he makes such a noise, fascinating to watch. He has just appeared again this year but is not quite so aggressive, actually letting a female blackbird stay for a short time on and off during the day and then playing with her in the grass afterwards. My question is - is he the same one or son of blackbird?

LIFE'S HAPPY SPLINTERS!

Adam was home for a few days this week for a churchy appointment which meant he had to dress the part -he rarely does as he likes to be more casual - it is usually, jeans, jumper and his clerical collar on top - so I don't often see him really dressed up as a cleric and even more rarely go out in public with him dressed like that. We all went with Adam to Dublin yesterday and spent part of the time going round the shops and then having lunch. It was really amusing seeing people's reactions to his collar, one man crossed over in front of us - whistling and craning his neck to check out what Adam was wearing, nearly knocking down some shoppers! During lunch we had a lovely encounter with a lovely elderly lady. We were chatting over the day's event and suddenly Adam was grabbed and hugged by this little lady! She kept telling him how handsome he was for a priest and he teased her for while before telling her that in our church he could marry. She was so happy to see a young man like him she kept coming back with more lovely comments much to the amusement of the other diners around us and when we left a few minutes later everyone was smiling and nodding to us, it was really lovely and made Adam's day as he does not always have such a nice reaction.

READY TO LEAVE

LIFE

Today I decided to do some tidying in the study and came across some items that brought back some powerful memories.

I first of all I found my wedding veil worn 38 years ago when I married in a double ceremony with my younger sister, I remember my mother walking us proudly down through the church to begin the ceremony. In 1970 this was unheard of but because our Dad had died and one parent could not do the honours we only wanted our Mom to give us away. I remember it caused much comment but everyone agreed that it was a lovely sight.

The next item I found was my Mother's 1984 Diary, which I have not been able to read since she died and have still not read, a lot happened in 1984.

The last item I found was a smiling photograph of Simon taken for his Master's Degree which was lovely as he rarely smiles.

Life