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

Have just spent the week catching up with my eldest son while he was home from Wales. I collected him from the ferry on Monday night - getting badly delayed by an accident on the N11 and by the time I picked him up it was getting dark so on the drive back home there were few distractions which allowed us to have a good chat. He leads a very busy life running his little parish and misses home and someone to chat to and it was lovely to be able to talk through a few things that were bothering him.

Yesterday on our way back from Dublin we drove around Glendalough/Laragh area and listening to him remarking on how lovely the scenery is made me look at where I live in a different light. We grumble about the weather but looking at the forestry in the sweeping rain yesterday it looked beautiful and majestic.

PIGS

THIS IS MY LATEST PICTURE, MY YOUNGEST SON USUALLY NAMES THE ANIMALS IN MY PICTURES BUT HE IS IN AUSTRALIA AT THE MOMENT SO I WILL HAVE TO THINK OF A NAME BEFORE I PUT IT INTO THE GALLERY

EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 37 YEARS I HAVE TRIED TO GIVE
MY HUSBAND A THOUGHTFUL PRESENT FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY
- SOMETHING WHICH I KNOW HE WOULD NOT BUY FOR HIMSELF
- SOMETHING WHICH WOULD MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR HIM
- SOMETHING TO KEEP HIM OCCUPIED FOR A WHILE.
WHAT DO YOU GIVE A MAN YOU HAVE KNOWN FOR OVER 40 YEARS!!??

THE PRESENT

THIS is how my son dresses to take a service for the children,
the shirt he is wearing is actually his rugby shirt which has
his nickname on the back.

MY HUSBAND IN COSTUME!

YOUR A STAR!

MY SON

Tomorrow I plan to travel across to my son in Swansea, Wales on the ferry. I hate early mornings and the thoughts of getting up at 5 o,clock tomorrow is killing me. He tells me he has taken the day off and that he will have written his sermon for the service the next day (as mentioned before he is a curate in The Church in Wales!

Its a strange feeling really watching him as he goes about his duties. He works in a very busy parish and has a lovely lot of parishioners around him and I will be greeting with open arms, which is lovely. Its funny really - when I go out and about near his house I am always recognised and am greeted with "Hello Adam's Mum"! Last October I went over to him as it was his birthday which happened to be on a Sunday and when he walked into the church to take the service the whole congregation broke into "Happy Birthday"!

REFLECTIONS

SNAPPED! AND HE DID!

ERNEST HEMINGWAY IN WICKLOW!

I have been trying to sneak a photograph of my husband lately, since he took up the acting lark. He is an extra in the Tudors and much to his delight he is not allowed to cut his hair or beard. When it rains he wears a type of baseball cap and when you look quickly at him he looks just like Ernest Hemingway! When he is out and about he gets a few stares but such is fame!

WICKLOW REGATTA

As part of the Wicklow Regatta a group of artists hang their pictures on the railings around The Halpin Memorial in Wicklow Town, mostly members of Kilmantin Art Gallery which is in the town.

So ......yesterday I turned up with a lot of other artists and set out my pictures ...............just finished when the heavens opened, covered them quickly and when it stopped uncovered them ...............heavens opened again, by this stage a few exhibitors had left and I was getting very grumpy but decided to stay and went in search of plastic sheeting which I duly got ..............just in time ............another shower. Did I sell anything? Yes believe it or not, the town was buzzing with lots of people, the rain did not seem to put them off, mind you sailors are not put off by a bit of wet!

Apart from the weather it was an enjoyable day chatting to others around the railings and to people who came up to me during the day although I think it will be a while before I do that again.

OUR MELTING WORLD

AT THE END OF THE DAY

CHIMNEY POTS

Unfortunately I missed the opening of the members exhibition in the Signal Arts Centre in Bray where I had my chinmey pots! On my way up to Dublin yesterday I called into the centre to look at the pictures and discovered to my joy that my picture had sold on the opening night, thank you customer!

I exhibit in "The People's Art Gallery" in Powerscourt Town Centre in Dublin as well as Kilmantin Arts in Wicklow so when I was in Dublin I dropped in my picture of the hens as they had not sold on the railings in Sandymount, I hope they find a good home too!

SIGNAL EXHIBITION

I am a member of Signal Arts Centre in Bray and was lucky enough to have one of my paintings selected for the members exhibition which opened last night. I unfortunately was unable to attend the opening. The paintings are displayed in the gallery in 1 Albert Avenue and in some shop windows around Bray, as I was unable to attend the opening I do not know where my picure is displayed, so if you are walking down the main street of Bray and see a picture of chimney pots - its mine! If by any chance you are wondering where the chimney pots are - they are in Church Hill, Wicklow Town.

I often walk along streets looking up, as you see some really lovely chimney pots and tiling details on the roofs of houses and shops - mind you I do get some odd looks!

CHIMNEY POTS

CONTACT!

Simon updated his blog today with loads of photographs, he and his girlfriend are in Phucket at the moment. I had been waiting for him to post the photo of him eating crickets, note it does not show him actually eating them!

He rang this morning too, a feast or a famine! He sounded in great form but although he has only been away since the beginning of May he has worn out the sandals he went away with.

EATING CRICKETS

MY HUSBAND THE ACTOR

Havn't mentioned before but my husband has taken up acting lately! He is an extra in "The Tudors" a BBC programme being made in Ardmore Studios in Bray. He goes in most weeks for a day or two. He has to leave very early in the morning as usually he has to be there at six and he is really enjoying it. He has always had a beard and now that he is doing this he is not allowed to cut his beard or hair, which he thinks is great! Yesterday he came into the gallery to me and because it was raining he had a baseball cap on and he is quite a sight! I would love to have a photo of him all dressed up in his costume but he is not allowed to take photos so hopefully we will see him in shot when the series comes out in the autumn.

MAKING REPAIRS

A Crew member repairing
the sail

SEA STALLION (HAVHINGSTEN FRA GLENDALOUGH

Made my way down to the harbour yeserday morning (Saturday) to see if the Sea Stallion was still in Wicklow Harbour and found the crew making repairs to the sails and one repairing an oar.

Myself and a few other people were milling around them, some taking photographs like myself, they must be well used to this as they just got on with what they were doing, I much prefer to take photographs (with permission of course!) of people when they are not posing for the camera. One crew member was explaining their intended route home and it seems that Portsmouth is their next stop.

Today I have not yet gone down to the harbour but intend to do so before I go to Monkstown to collect some paintings from an exhibition there.

AT WORK

THE TIRED CREW

THE SEA STALLION MASTHEAD

SEA STALLION IN WICKLOW HARBOUR

THE SEA STALLION IN WICKLOW

Great excitement in Wicklow Harbour - the Sea Stallion the viking ship - is docked in the harbour. Ran down during my lunch break to see her and take some photographs. The ship is much bigger than I thought and very long. The crew look very tired and I couldn't resist taking photos of two sleeping crew. There was quite a crowd around the ship but the crew did not seem to mind, just got on with the business in hand. I went back after I had finished work and found the crew lined up for their evening meal, it smelled lovely and as the ship is mostly open deck the crew had to find spots on the quay and surrounds to eat their meal, it was raining too, although I would say after the voyage they have just finished a bit of rain on "dry land" was no problem to them. The will be leaving on the tide in the morning and I hope to be able to see them leave.

POOLBEG POWER STATION,DUBLIN

ON THE LOOKOUT

DOLPHINS

THE POND

VIEW FROM THE OLD PIGEON HOUSE,DUBLIN

SEA STALLION LEAVING DUBLIN

SEA STALLION

On our way today - Sunday - to Sandymount, my husband and I stopped to watch the "Sea Stallion, the viking ship, leave Dublin Port, I had missed her coming into Dublin so really wanted to see her leave. By the time we got to the shoreline near Poolbeg Power Station she was nearly out at sea. There were many boats around her of all descriptions and it really was a lovely sight.

There were lots of people there with cameras like myself but on the small beach below where we were there was one man collecting something along the shoreline, he never looked up even though just above him were lines of people all looking at the spectacle out at sea.

SAILING IN WICKLOW HARBOUR