HEART SHAPED STONES

Borscht . . . Irish Style

2012-01-19T15:50:00.009Z

It's been a while since I posted, so as a catch up, I offer you this --

Borscht . . . Irish Style!

No wordy post. Just a couple mouthwatering photos and a recipe. Enjoy!

BORSCHT . . . IRISH STYLE

1 left-over roasted chicken
2 large leeks
1 small head of celery
3-4 med/large carrots, peeled
1 med bell pepper, yellow or red
1 med/large zucchini
3 med fresh beets
1 Tbsp dry or fresh thyme (fresh preferred)
3-4 big garlic cloves
3 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots (or vegetarian)(if you can't find gelatine stock cubes, use your favorite traditional cube, or if using liquid stock, omit the next ingredient)
Water to cover
Good olive oil

Preparation

Rough chop all of the vegetables into similar size pieces, making sure to peel the carrots.

Top and tail the beets, peel and chop about the same size as the carrots. Rinse the beets in a colander before use.

If using fresh thyme, use the most tender parts of the plant or stems and chop finely.

Peel the garlic and rough chop. Alternatively, bash with the side of the knife.

Get started

Heat a medium size stock pot on medium-high/high and add a good glug of olive oil. When hot, toss in the leeks and stir to coat them in the oil and saute. Do not brown them, so keep an eye on them and stir often.

When the leeks start to wilt, add in the celery, carrots and bell peppers and stir.

Add in the rinsed beets, then the garlic and thyme and stir well.

Now add in the gelatin stock cubes. As they heat, they'll start melting. When they do, add enough water to cover the vegetables. If you like a thicker soup, just cover the vegetables. If you like a soupier soup, add a little more water.

Note: If you're using prepared stock, use it in place of the gelatin stock cubes and water. Use as much prepared stock as you wish to get the liquid balance you like in your soup.

Cover the pot and let it come to a simmer. Turn down the heat while you prepare your left-over chicken.

De-bone your left-over chicken. You want to use both the white and dark meat, or whatever good pieces are left over. Be sure to check for bones in the chicken, and remove any veins, fat, skin or other unsightly bits. Roughly chop what you have and put into the pot. Gently push down the chicken until it's submerged in the broth. Recover the pot and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Note: For vegetarians - Omit the chicken and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Serve hot with crusty bread rolls and soft butter.

Yum!

{photos and recipe copyrighted to Heart Shaped Stones}

You say tomayto, I say tomahto

2011-09-30T14:22:00.010+01:00

Last year I grew tomatoes in my office window. I had so much fun and learned a lot so I figured I'd try it again this year. Below are my results.

Back in May I posted Fresh Starts, which included the planting of new tomato seedlings: Roma tomatoes and Golden Sunrise tomatoes. Taking lessons learned last year, I've been making sure to pick out the suckers, which forces the plant's energy to concentrate on growing fruit. After a time, I also started cutting back leaf stems, as they were shadowing the fruit clusters too much. Even still, this is what the vine currently looks like --
Yeah, the plant is so crazy it's tilting in the pot and forcing the supports to go cattywampus. But check out the fruit! Below are just three clusters of ripe tomatoes.
Here's a close up. They've all turned yellow now and have been picked for tonight's dinner. Thinking of making my famous stewed vegetables and use yellow tomatoes this time instead of yellow. Stay tuned for results!
Hmm . . . maybe I should be thinking Fried Green Tomatoes here -- Here's one of the Roma's. Unfortunately, they're not as prolific as the Golden Sunrises, but at least they're now starting to turn red. I'll have two Romas unless the other flowers fruit. What to do, what to do . . .
Last year when I grew my first tomatoes, I didn't realize the flowers had to be polinated. Never occured to me, but being in the office window with the window open on nice days probably encouraged a few flying critters to come in and walk around on the flowers, inadvertantly polinating them. Or it's possible the breeze carried pollen from flower to flower. I have no idea, but we did get a few small tomatoes that were very tasty.

This year I mead a point of using a little (clean) paint brush and touched it to each flower as if it were a bee, and it seems to have worked. That and picking off suckers. Currently, there are some 40-50 green tomatoes left on the vines. I've picked off the first 10 ripe ones for tonight. They're not huge . . . maybe a little bigger than a golf ball . . . but it's the flavor I'm after. I don't eat raw tomatoes so I'm very hopeful for the cooked ones.

Having said that, Peter had one in a sandwhich last weekend and said it was one of the tastiest tomatoes he's ever had, so they must be good!

Other than that, not a lot to report, but I hope you enjoyed seeing the *fruits* of my summer labor.

Visit my post Farm to Fork to see what I did with the tomatoes last year.

The Lovers of Valdaro

2011-09-17T09:59:00.001+01:00

(Apair of human skeletons found at a construction site outside Mantua, Italy, are believed by archaeologists to be a man and a woman from the Neolithic period, buried around 6,000 years ago.
Archaeological Society SAP/AP)

As a romance writer, sometimes when I'm fascinated by interesting articles I like to share them, hoping some likeminded person will find them just as interesting. Such as this one -- The Lovers of Valdaro, also called the Valdaro Lovers.

Expected to be around 6,000 years old, this pair of 'lovers' was discovered by archaeologists at a Neolithic tomb in San Giorgio near Mantova (today's Mantua), Italy in 2007. Scientists believe the pair is a man and woman no older than 20 years of age and were approximately 5'2" in height. The couple were removed to Musei Civici in Como for tests and investigations.

While No one can be certain of the precise history of this pair, but it's been speculated upon that the couple was either placed in this position after their deaths by someone else, or it's possible they died while embracing in freezing weather. It's also possible one of them (most likely the man) passed away and the woman was killed so her spirit could follow his into the afterlife. No artifacts were found with the bodies and there are no distinguishing marks to suggestion a cruel demise for either of them, which leads to further mystery, which allows imaginations to run free. And why wouldn't they, as Mantua has an illustrious past where star-crossed lovers are concerned --

If the name Mantua rings a bell, it should. Mantua was the city where Shakespeare's Romeo was exiled as punishment for killing Tybalt Capulet.

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto is also set in Mantua.

This couple was discovered in 2007, but what brings them back into today's limelight is that they were put on public display for the first time this week at the Mantua Archaeology Museum. This exhibit is temporary though, as funds are being sought to build a dedication building in which to house the lovers.

Whoever these people were and whatever the reason they came to be in this embrace, this romance writer would like to think this young couple were deeply in love, and even their deaths could not separate them. It's nice to see that archaeologist, in their quest for discovery, have left the Lovers of Valdaro in their eternal embrace.

For more information --

WorldCrunch -- A web service translating foreign news pieces into English.

Fort Camden, Crosshaven, Co Cork

2011-09-13T11:48:00.023+01:00

Since it's been a while since I've posted to this blog, I thought I'd start updating with one of the most recent things we've done. While in Cork recently, we visited the newly opened Fort Camden.

For concise history of Fort Camden, go to the history page on Rescue Camden's website. Briefly --

The first fortifications were built in Cork Harbour in the 17th century, although these were primarily to protect Cork City. In the 18th century, fortifications were built on Haulbowline Island to protect the anchorage in Cobh. Fort Camden, and Fort Carlisle across the harbor entrance, were both built during the time of the American War of Independence, aka the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). This should give American readers some context of the history of the time. But while a revolution was being fought in the Americas, there were still troubling times in Ireland and north Europe, and the location of forts around the entrance to Cork Harbour were instrumental in guarding the English Channel and into the Irish Sea.

Fort Camden was fortified and extended throughout the 18th and 19th centuries and has become one of the world's finest examples of a classical Coastal Artillery Fort.

Cork Harbour, the second largest natural harbor in the world (second to Australia's Sidney Harbour), at one time maintained four such forts -- Camden and Carlisle protecting the harbor entrance, and Spike Island and Haulbowline Island in the harbor center. Anyone daring to try to get into Cork Harbour would have been met with serious difficulty from all sides.

During the Second World War, the Irish Army formed its own coast artillery service with headquarters at Spike Island. The Coast Defence Service was maintained at Camden until it was dissolved in 1949, at which time the fort was closed and remained in disuse and un-maintained until recent times, as you can see from the massive overgrowth from a once dry moat.

In 1989, the Cork County Council acquired ownership of the fort and planned to restore some facilities and create The Military Heritage Centre and tourist attraction, including visitor accommodation, watersport facilities (boating on Cork Harbour and safe swimming locations around the docks), craftshops and restaurant.

Sadly, that did not come to pass. But locals would not be deterred. After twenty years of talks between the Cork County Council and Crosshaven Community officials, an agreement was made in July 2010 for the restoration of Fort Camden as part of a FAS program working with local volunteers. Over the last year, teams of men and women worked hard all over the site clearing debris, cutting back overgrowth and making safe many of the buildings. And in July 2011, Fort Camden welcomed in a new history for the fortm as visitors were now allowed onto the site.

Above is the main Casement Building which once housed soldiers' sleeping quarters (sleeping ten to a room in peace times and twenty to a room in war times), latrines, showers, medics, mess hall and more. Today, while they've been made safe for exploring, only a few are set up for displays. The chamber below has been filled with a shallow pool of water, the corners of which contained submerged pumps that keep the water circulating under and otherwise still surface. Local children made 'boats' which seem to sail on their own steam around the pool.

In another chamber is a display of letters, orders, and other notable items that were discovered on the site when volunteers were allowed in to clean-up. Letters like this one give an interesting account from a soldier's point of view. This letter includes --

"Monday (25/6/17) {25 June 1917}
Another bright morning. It is a shame to be in bed until 8 in lovely weather like this. Usual routine. Nothing much going . . . Seven men arrive from Curragh . . . Don't know what to do. Am thinking about the pictures. But it is too rainy . . . Something like rosary beads the droplets. This is Irish . . . News of rising in Cork . . . Off to the pictures. Not much chance of getting a girl . . ."

This soldier apparently hoped to find a willing girl that night except it was raining too much! He also referenced going joy riding. But again, the rain put a hold on that too. Maybe a good thing for the car owner!

Remember that the Easter Rising started in April 1916 and this letter was penned just 14 months later. News of a rising in Cork was probably common during the time as Irish rebels fought for independence from Britain. It would be interesting to know whether or not soldiers from Fort Camden were enlisted to subdue rebel fighters or if they were strictly guarding the harbor. The letter also mentions a local boating accident which enlisted had attended, saving two men.
There are, I believe, five tunnels through the hillside to various points around the fort. Two of them lead to the two harbors around the site, one of which is currently open and it the longest one on the site. Here's the entrance --

Once through the gate, soldiers would have been met by a long, dark tunnel before reaching the stairs. There are no windows along the tunnel so it would have been very dark without a lantern. Once at the stairs (seen below), there are narrow windows along the left side of the tunnel. They would have allowed in some light, maybe just enough to see by, but not terribly bright. Electric lights are now fitted for visitors, and make for interesting photography.

There are level areas between sets of five steps as one descends the hillside through the tunnel. I lost count at around 100 of how many steps down to the gunnery area. There was a lot more than that, I'm sure! At least it felt that way.

The tunnel leads to a gunnery area where cannons were mounted on raised platforms along the gunnery walls. Munitions buildings face the cannons, as did other related occupations such as smithing and a hospital room for the injured. The photo below is the main entrance into the gunnery area if one arrived by vehicle from the other direction. Impressive architecture!

Just outside the stone entrance above is also the entrance down to the main harbor. Below are a couple pictures of the seafront harbor area. Storage, barracks and other chambers are built into the hillside. As you can see by the date, 1871, this area would have been refortified in that year. The second harbor or dock area is seen in the background on the harbor side of the site.

Here is a view from the main harbor/docks looking out at Fort Carlisle, which guarded the opposite side of the harbor entrance. To the right, the wide open Atlantic. To the left, Cork Harbour.

Unfortunately, due to the disuse and not being maintained while closed, the dock has been destroyed by undercurrents, which are collapsing it. The piers seem to be solid enough.

A bit of trivia -- My husband's family used to spend summers in Crosshaven. There's a sandy beach on the Atlantic side of the fort where they rented a house by the week. Kids used to scale the cliffs around the fort walls (see the above aerial photo!) to the harbor and fish for mackerel for their dinners and swim within the pier arms. Our visit on this day was nostalgic for him in this respect and allowed him to finally see what was beyond the barriers in the fort.

From the harbor, one must either retrace their steps back through the tunnel (remember all those stairs!) or take the zig-zag road. When I say this road is steep, I mean STEEP. At each bend in the zig-zag are benches to rest upon. What they really need it one of those stair lifts people put in their houses! Maybe, eventually, they'll have enough funds when restorations are done, to put in some form of transportation for people not really fit enough for mountain climbing. And let me tell you, it's a climb. Scroll back to the top of this page to the aerial photo and you'll see the long, straight tunnel going from the top of the site to the harbor, and the zig-zag road.

At the top of the site is a stunning view of Cork Harbour. Seen here is Spike Island in the center of the harbor and Cobh in the background. Cobh was the last stopping place for Titanic, where she picked up Irish immigrants, before sailing to America. I think we all know how that ended!

The Irish tricolor flies from the highest point on the island. Below it are a number of buildings, including officers quarters, more barracks for enlisted, repair shops, motorcade, and more. Here's one of the work shops below --
What I find incredible about this site, aside from some interesting architecture, the tunnel systems, the location, the view and the history, is that simple things like an original brick path still exists and with it's original gutter. It shows a sign of the times when roads were traditionally cobbled. Considering the bland nature of today's road surfaces, I think seeing old cobbling like this brings a certain level of class or style to something as important as a military instillation.

There was so much to see at the fort and from the fort. One really would want to visit personally to really understand the importance of the site. One might get an inkling from seeing pictures, but to actually be there is another story.

I'll leave you with this last image. A broken piece of pottery with the insignia Óglaıġ na hÉıreann, which has several translations -- soldiers of Ireland, warriors of Ireland, volunteers of Ireland and simply Irish volunteers.

The phrase Óglaigh na hÉireann was coined as an Irish-language title for the Irish Volunteers of 1913, and it was retained when the Volunteers became known in English as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the War of Independence of 1919–1922.

Following the Treaty which created the Irish Free State, the Provisional Government in 1922 formed the National Army. To establish itself as carrying on the tradition of the pre-independence movement, the Army adopted Óglaigh na hÉireann as its Irish language name, and also adopted the cap badge and buttons of the Irish Volunteers, the former of which incorporates the title in its design. Since 1922, Óglaigh na hÉireann has remained the official title in the Irish language for the Irish Defence Forces, which are recognised by the Irish Government as the only legitimate armed forces of the independent state on the island of Ireland.

That means this piece of pottery, and thousands more like it found around the site, was in use when the fort was Irish occupied . . . from at least 1917 (re the above letter) to 1949 (when the fort fell into disuse).

Be sure to log into the website for Fort Camden for information on the restoration of the fort and their gallery of images.

Also, check out the Wiki page for Cork Harbour for detailed military history for Cork and Cork Harbour.

The Tree of Life

2011-05-10T13:48:00.013+01:00

I just love the smell of leather in the morning!

I have to share this.

Today I received my leather cover for my Kindle 3 digital book reader, a birthday present to myself. This came from Oberon Design in Santa Rosa, CA, who've been in the business of hand crafting leather items from the late 60s.

We have several Oberon book covers, and when we got our Kindle readers we wanted something to protect them. Oberon was the natural choice. They have so many designs that it's hard to chose just one.

When I first saw The Tree of Life, I loved it. I tried to decide on other designs but always came back to this one.

Here's the cover opened to show the full scene. Stunning or what?

And here's the inside with my Kindle installed.

There is a small pocket on the left, and behind that and the device are larger pockets. The left side is padded to protect the device face.

And I'm sure you can't help but notice my custom screensaver on my Kindle!

AND, to finish it all off an amazingly stunning design is a matching pewter button. They even included a pewter charm with a matching tree motif.

What I'll do with it is still unknown. What I do know is I can't wait to sit down and start reading just so I can hold this cover in my hands.

BTW, I've named my cover Darragh, which is an Irish name meaning Mighty Oak. Silly to name a book cover, but as we're going to have a long relationship I figure we better be on first name terms!

Thanks, Oberon!!!

Fresh Starts

2011-05-08T14:16:00.006+01:00

Spring is here and with it everything that involves fresh starts. And not just all that stuff going on outside with the flowers, trees and little lambs, foals and calves!

Here are a few of my fresh starts for the year --

Last year we grew some tomatoes in our office window. You can see that post here. The vines went wild and we only got a handful of small fruits that looked more like cherry tomatoes than the fist size ones we should have had. So before trying again this year, I read up on the dos and don'ts of tomato growing. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just a matter of putting a seedling in the soil and watering it occasionally. There's an art of pinching back suckers AND they do like the occasional feed. Go figure.

So this year, we picked up two more seedlings. One is for yellow ones called Golden Sunrise and the other is a red called Roma. They were both the same size when we bought them -- about 2 inches -- but the Golden Sunrise seems to be growing leaps and bounds over the Roma. They're both large enough now that I can get out my rings to hold them up. I don't think I'll let them get as high as the ceiling this year though ;-)

Another project on the cards, so to speak, is wool. Anyone who knows me knows what a knitting enthusiast I am. Give me a couple sticks and anything resembling a long, fiberlike substance and I'll make something out of it! I have yet to delve into spinning though, which is where this project comes in.

We take our dogs running at a place called The Curragh, currently a national parkland, was once a place where ancient kings of Ireland raced their chariots and horses. The Curragh today has multiple functions, including being home to the Curragh Racecourse, a golf course and the Curragh Camp where the Irish Army trains (not the IRA, sorry folks, and yes neutral Ireland has an Army!) And some seens in the movie Braveheart were filmed here, amongst other places in Ireland (that was an Irish movie folks. Don't let the Aussie in the skirt fool you!)

Around 50,000 acres makes up The Curragh, most of which is grazing land for sheep to help keep the grass down. County Kildare, by and large, is flat compared to most of the rest of the country -- real Big Sky Country -- but the Curragh is actually made up of short rolling hills and drumlins, and thousands of gorse plants. Gorse is a thorny shrub that blooms amazingly yellow this time of year. Sheep bed down under it for protection at night. As a result, they're constantly getting their wool snagged on the thorns. Which is where I come in!

When we take the dogs running up there I sometimes take a little plastic bag with me and collect the cleaner bits of wool snagged on the gorse. Then I bring it home, wash it and card it into something that can be spun. This sample was from the last collection, which has been washed and ready for carding. In fact, I have carded it now, removing all the seeds, burs and tangles. I just need to find my drop spindle and learn how to spin it! But hey, free wool, a little processing and then I can knit with it!

Incidentally, the peasants of Ireland who couldn't afford to buy prespun wool, or who had their own sheep and wanted to add weight to their fleeces before sale, would gather wool off the gorse, as I have. This is where we get the term 'wool gathering' when we're thought to be day dreaming. Girls who went gathering wool would often daydream in the process. So there you go now, as the man says!

My other project for the year as part of my fresh starts is actually a starter. A sourdough starter, in fact. I was given a packet of Gold Rush starter, which is a dried active yeast from a San Francisco starter that's about a million years old and figured I'd better use it. This picture is a bit dated now, but this starter was born on 27 April 2011 and is growing by leaps and bounds.

I've never done this before so it's all a great learning experience. I'm a firm believer that no matter how old you are, you should ALWAYS learn one new thing a day. Every day I work with this starter I'm learning something -- mostly that I suck as a baker!

Actually, I'm getting better. I've made four loaves of sourdough bread so far, each one tasty, but all of them with problems, which is why I'm not sharing pictures yet! I'll post the recipes i'm using and the process of the perfect loaf when I have a perfect loaf.

That's not to say I haven't used the starter with great success. The very first thing I made with my starter was pancakes! The starter was only five days old but they came out great. I'll put up that picture too when I update this topic with bread pictures. I'm also looking for a good pizza crust recipe, too, so if anyone has one to share . . .

Life is full of ironies. It was just this morning Peter said to me, "We deside to cut back on our carbs and what do you do? Start filling the kitchen with bread." Yep, that's me. Full of irony. And a little contradiction. :-D

My date with Jack L!

2011-01-18T11:53:00.005Z

I know, I know. It's been a donkey's age since I posted anything on this blog.

Last Friday, the 14th, we (Peter, mom and I) went over to Newbridge to the Riverbank Arts Centre where the incomparable Jack L (aka Jack Lukeman) was performing. The Riverbank is a very intimate venue of about 180 seats. Even in row 8 it was almost like being in the front row.

This is the second time I've seen Jack perform. The first time was on my birthday a couple years ago when we still lived in Macroom at the Briary Gap Theatre. The Briary Gap is quite a bit bigger then Riverbank and my seat was pretty far back, but it was still an awesome performance. Part of Jack's routine is to walk up into the audience during certain songs, which I think is great. Not only does he get within touching distance, it's his way of personalizing his performance. Most performers stay on the stage, separate themselves from the audience, do their numbers and take off. Not so with Jack. He connects with his audience on many levels. Including several encores.

I really like Jack's music. His deep voice gives his songs emotion and intensity. I especially like when he steps away from the mic to sing. His voice projects naturally without him having to scream or sound like he's screaming just to get the notes out. What's also impressive is how his live singing voice sounds just like his recordings. Not many performers can say that. I've been to concerts where the performer's live singing voice is vastly different from their CDs. In one case, Jack brought out his squeeze box and sang a very soft lullaby called Stardust. The audience was so quiet during this performance. Not a cough, sneeze or murmur in the place. No one wanted to miss a note. It was great. Here's his own video of the song . . .

What else I found interesting was the audience. Most people there were between thirty and seventy. There were a couple kids (maybe around ten years of age), but the majority were well into their adult years. One woman sitting next to us was on her feet dancing a couple times and while in her seat, she shook our row of auditorium chairs with her foot tapping. She was really into it, to say the least. Toward the end of the evening, a woman on the other side of us was up and dancing too. I'm wondering if it was their natural love of Jack's music, or the wine they consummed in the theater's cafe! I'm thinking maybe a little of both! Whatever, they were fun to watch.

I can't not also mention the pianist and drummer who performed with Jack. They were simply amazing. I'm always curious to watch drummers because they normally get so little attention, and because my cousin is a drummer. On stage, Jack sets his musicians beside him rather than in the traditional places, so everyone has an equal part in the show. Jack's drummer held perfect rhythm through the show and made the job of drumming look effortless. On more than one occasion, he had both arms and legs in motion. It was amazing to watch him play. So much energy.

The pianist . . . both Peter and I thought he looked a bit like a displaced Animal from the muppets, with all his hair flying and energetic key-pounding. If the drummer made his task look effortless, then the pianist's playing came over more like he was in it for the craic and not working at all. It was obvious that he loves the music and enjoys playing with Jack. It was incredible to watch his fingers fly over the keys. Hunched over the keyboard, it was like he was stalking the notes. Even with such enthusiastic playing, he was still graceful . . . if I can apply that to a man . . . as if he was born to play the piano. I could have watched him play for hours . . . had I not kept most of my attention on Jack ;-)

I wish I could say the opening act was equally impressive. Personally, she (sorry I can't remember her name, but probably for the best) was not my taste. But it's possible her performance was completely out of context. As she said herself, she was without her band that night. She seemed too close to the music, playing piano herself and singing. She seemed to struggle a bit between keeping the music and vocals together. Sitting at the back of the auditorium, it still sounded like she was shouting rather than singing. And every song sounded the same. I have to say, when I saw Jack perform in Macroom a couple years ago, his opening act, Linda Coogan, was a lot more enjoyable. Her voice reminded me a bit of Janis Joplin, whom I really adore. I'd love to hear Linda play again.

Would I go back to see Jack again, even knowing the opening act is just so-so? You betcha! Aside from having a unique and outstanding voice, Jack's a consumate showman. I challenge anyone not to enjoy his performances.

If anyone is interested in hearing more of Jack's music, either log into his website or check his page on YouTube.

I'm off now to see where his next performance is!

Farm to Fork

2010-08-20T11:44:00.014+01:00

I'll just let you savor this photo for a minute. Go on, have a look. Don't you wish you could smell it? All the herbs, fresh veg, spuds two ways... It's okay to drool. Have a good look. Yummy!

In Ireland, Farm to Fork is an initiative of traceability of food, literally from sourcing at the farm and tracing each step until it reaches your plate. Since the initiative was introduced, the quality of home grown foods has improved significantly. When I say 'home grown' I mean food grown in Ireland for consumption in Ireland. These foods have a modern history of only being available at farmer's markets, and while supermarkets are keen to sell Irish grown produce, farmer's markets are still THE place to go for the best of the best. Unless you grow it yourself. In this case, I'm talking tomatoes. Or in Irish, trátaí...pronounced traw-tee.

In my last post, I shared a photo of our tomato plant, which we're growing in our office window because it's so bright and warm there. Also on that post is a photo of the first of the tomatoes to fruit on the vine. Well, here are those same tomatoes, ripened and ready for eating.

Aren't they pretty little things? They weren't very big. Perhaps the size of a small lemon. But they were firm and smelled lovely. So I gave them a rinse and prepared them for the meal. A vegetable fritatta with tomato salsa.

I have to stop here and say I've never grown tomatoes before, so this has been a great learning experience for me. I tried growing one vine years ago in my kitchen window when we lived in Macroom, but the window just didn't get a lot of light or heat. The vine grew a little, then died. With our new office window and so much warmth and light, it was the perfect place to grow tomatoes. And the vine has gone insane. It's currently up to the ceiling, curling around the ceiling and will probably need another support so the flowers will develop into tomatoes and have support so they don't break the vine. After this first batch, I'm determined to grow as many tomatoes as possible while I can. And look how gorgeous they are sliced in half. To be honest, there weren't a lot of seeds. and they were so ripe, the skins peeled off in a snap.

So, onto the fritatta. We had leftover new season spuds from the night before and some off cuts of various veg in the fridge that needed to be eaten. I'm tired of stir fry so what a better way to use them up than in a fritatta. Here's the recipe I used, but keep in mind that any veg you have going spare in the fridge, or even some peas or corn from the freezer, works great. I also added in a couple slices of thick cut BBQ deli ham...since we had it. Us whatever your favorite combination of veg is. Just make it colorful. Like, don't just use all green or it will just be boring looking, even if it tastes good. Part of eating enjoyment is the visual. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

Here's the recipe...

4 new season spuds, precooked and cooled, skinned, slice two thinly, dice the other two, keep separate
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced (can use scallions if you prefer, or more onion if you really like onion)
1 medium bell pepper, diced (red, yellow or orange, or a combination of colors)
1 handful of broccoli, sliced thin
1 handful of asparagus, diced
1 medium ripe tomato, deseeded, skinned and rough chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, rough chopped
2-3 teaspoons dried mixed herbs (or if you have fresh, go for it!)
8 large eggs, scrambled well
1 large dollup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Good olive oil for cooking

Method

Turn on the broiler or grill first so it can heat up while you're sauteing your veg.

Put a medium sized heavy non-stick skillet on medium to high heat, add a generous amount of olive oil. When hot, gently toss in your sliced spuds. You want to lightly brown them on both sides. While these are cooking, you can prepare your other veg, unless you're efficient and have them already done. Brown the spuds in batches so you don't break up the slices. As they cook, remove onto kitchen paper to drain.

When you're done browning the sliced spuds (remember they're already cooked, you're just reheating and browning), cook up your diced spuds. Cook them like country fries. You want to be sure there's a generous amount of oil in the skillet for this because you want these crispy when they're done. Cook in batches so they don't just steam. Remove to kitchen paper to drain and get ready to saute your veg.

Your veg should be diced. Not too finely, but not too chunky. You want them to saute quickly. You probably won't need more oil after the country fries, but if you do, use it. I never said this was a non-fat meal! When the oil hot, toss in the onions and peppers first. Mix well and saute for a minute or two before adding in the broccoli and asparagus. Continue stirring occasionally so nothing sticks or burns.

While this is cooking, mix all 8 eggs in a large container and scramble well with the sour cream. Add a little salt and pepper if desired.

Just before the veg is completely cooked, add in the garlic and mixed herbs and stir well. Be sure the veg is evenly coated with the herbs.

When this task is completed, remove the veg from the skillet into a bowl and wipe down the skillet to remove any residual cooked-on bits. Return to the heat, add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the skillet. Turn down the heat to medium and return the sliced spuds to the skillet. Arrange evenly at first. Any leftovers can be doubled up to cover any big gaps in the first layer. Then spoon your cooked veg onto the spuds and layer evenly.

At this point, if you want to add in some sliced precooked meat, such as the thick sliced BBQ deli ham I used, or even some precooked chorizo, which would be nice, add it now on it's own layer. The result should look something like the picture below on the left.

Once your layers are completed, pour your scrambled egg mixture over the lot. Gently giggle the skillet to jostle the veg and allow the eggs to get into all the gaps. Use the back of a silicone spatula to press the veg down and to rearrange the veg so all the colored veg is spread evenly around the skillet. When you're satisfied, add your chopped tomato to the top. Now your skillet should look like the above photo on the right. Yum!

Allow the mixture to cook on the stove for a few minutes. Use the silicone spatula around the edge of the egg to loosen it from the skillet, pulling the veg mix from the edge too so it doesn't stick. If you're brave, you can use your silicone spatula to gently lift the edge of the fritatta, tilt the skillet so any excess egg runs to the bottom of the fritatta. This will do two things -- 1) help to keep the bottom from burning, and 2) shorten the cooking time under the broiler/grill.

As the fritatta is cooking, add your country fries to the top. When you're satisfied the lower half of the fritatta is cooking, slide the skillet under your preheated broiler/grill. Not too close, perhaps the second rungs down. You don't want to burn the eggs. Just brown them nicely and cook them all the way to the middle. The bottom will have already cooked on the stove. You're just finishing off the top. Don't be afraid to pull out the skillet a few times and use your spatula around the edge. During this part of cooking, the eggs will puff up and should pull away from the edge naturally. Test the middle to be sure the eggs are cooking.

While the fritatta is cooking under the broiler/grill, make your salsa.

Here's the recipe...

2 medium ripe tomatoes, deseeded, skinned and rough chopped
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 medium garlic clove, finely diced
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely diced (can use Ortega roasted chilies, about 1 tbsp or to taste)
cilantro, a small bunch, finely chop the leafy parts, discard the stems
splash lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Add all of your ingredients to a bowl as you cut them. Blend well, adding a small splash of lime juice. Use a small spoon to taste for flavor, adding salt and pepper to taste, or more lime, cilantro or chilies. Salsa is subjective, so just add whatever extra flavors you want until it's perfect for you.

When you're done, the salsa should look something like the picture below on the left.

Note: If you double the salsa recipe, reserve half and peel some avocados for guacamole! Unfortunately, I didn't have any ripe avocados or you would have also got that recipe.

When your fritatta is done, remove from the oven and let it sit for a couple minutes to firm up. Then gently remove it from the skillet onto a large serving dish. It should look something like the picture below on the left.

Slice as you would a quiche. Admire your layered veg on the inside! This is what I meant above. If you just use one color veg, you won't have all the lovely colors mingling through the eggs.

Serve warm with your homemade salsa on the side, along side some guacamole if you made it.

This is a great all-in-one meal. Serves 4 generous portions. In each serving you have most of your daily veg, just two eggs, and all the goodness that comes from wholesome ingredients. It also makes a wonderful breakfast. No better way to start the day!

So this is my Farm to Fork. I grew the tomatoes in my office window...my farm...and they went straight onto my fork two ways...added to the top of the fritatta and in my salsa.

Reader challenge -- Make your own fritatta and salsa, then send me the pictures. I'll post them on a future blog. Go on. Start now. I'll wait!

Money Makers, Bougs and Testicle Fruit

2010-07-12T16:25:00.009+01:00

Never mind me. I'm just going to blather on about my plants again. Seems I do this every summer. Usually because I have something growing somewhere. This year it's Money Maker Tomatoes.

There are actually two tomato plants growing in the one pot. Having never grown tomatoes before I had no idea they'd take over the place. It's barely noticeable, but there is a central stake with two rings attached to hold the plant upright. But the pot is very shallow so we had to anchor that with a few bamboo stakes to keep the thing from falling over.

Currently, this pair are sucking down about a liter of water a day. Saturday I poured in two liters because we were away over the weekend. But sure enough, this morning I had to soak them again because the dirt was looking dry and cracked. I can tell when I've over-watered when excess water drains into the catch tray. I've never once seen water in the catch tray of these greedy water mongers!

At least they're healthy. I've been feeding them about every other watering, mostly because I forget every time, but there are loads of yellow flowers coming out, and as you can see, the first batch of tomatoes has started. They're about golf ball size at the moment, but I'm hoping if I can remember to feed every watering that they'll grow big and plump.

Anyone who knows me knows I can't stand raw tomatoes, so it's funny that I'm growing them. But that doesn't mean I have to leave them raw. Ratatouille here I come!

It seems our office just loves the light. The living room and office both are in the front of the house, but it's funny how just a few feet make all the difference. The living room gets sun, but not like the office. The office is usually a couple degrees warmer than the living room, and miles warmer than the back of the house. In here I'm growing not just my tomatoes, but also my avocado tree, which I thought I'd killed last October when we moved. The first weekend we were here we had a nasty frost and the tree dropped all it's leaves and the trunk died half way down. But I brought it in, watered it well and put it in front of the window, which is also where the radiator is. It's also a water monger, but at least I didn't kill it. That would be a shame after growing it from a pit from the fruit about 13 years ago! At one time it was up to the ceiling, but it's a tidy little bonsai wannabe now.

I don't know why I've done it, but I've started a couple more avocado trees on my kitchen window sill. Well, I might know why. Peter got a bonsai tree for Xmas and I thought it might be fun to see what a bonsai avocado would look like. I'll need to get new pots though because the one we had when Peter repotted his tree is now growing a bonsai sycamore...as pulled out of the gravel from our driveway!

I know I'll never get avocado trees from the pits. It's just not hot enough in Ireland. They also require a second plant to cross pollinate. Maybe the new pair will give us some results!

Did you know that the word avocado comes from the Nahuatl Aztec word ahuacatl which means testicle, a reference to the shape of the fruit, and because they grow in pairs. The word can be compounded with other words, as in ahuacamolli, meaning 'avocado soup or sauce', from which the Mexican Spanish word guacamole derives. Did you also know that the English language includes many Nahuatl words? I bet you didn't know the words chili, chocolate, coyote and tomato are also originally Nahuatl words. Cool or what?!

My real pride and joy at the moment is my bougainvillea. Bougs are sun worshipers, and well, Ireland doesn't really get much sun. This summer though has turned out really bright and warm and my boug is loving it.

When I bought my boug it was literally the pot and a flowered head at the top of a bare stalk. The first week I had it, it dropped all the flowers and I almost thought I'd killed it because I know how fussy they can be. But the leaves were still green and healthy and once it saw the sun it exploded with hundreds of flowers and just keeps blooming and growing.

There's a great garden center we love to go to on the weekends called Johnstown Garden Centre. It's a huge place that includes a big wing full of house and hot house plants. In it they have a few bougs that have been bonsaied. They're in big shallow pots, but the trunks on them are huge and the overall plant isn't more than four feet high.

If I stretch out my arms to either side of me, these bougs are easily that wide, and them some. Not ideal for just any home, and especially not at the price they're asking. But I pretend they're mine, but that they live in the shop! Every now and again, the staff move them and they drop their flowers, but the next week we go back and their flourishing again.

Meanwhile, I just keep watering mine and feeding it occasionally. I know they really like to be left alone and watered occasionally.

I remember the bougs growing up the side of our garage when I was younger. They'd only get watered when it rained (not often on the Central Coast though they also seemed to like the early morning and late evening fog) or when I washed my car. They grew up the south facing wall so they were in sunlight all day, and the white stucco house reflected back the heat onto them. The plants must have loved it because they were huge. If they hadn't been so thorny, I could have thrown myself into them. I don't actually like the color pink, but I make an exception for bougs! They're not really pink at all but a wilder version of purple!

And did I mention my watering can is purple? Yeah, baby!!

Independence Daisie

2010-07-04T14:34:00.019+01:00

Independence Day, 4 July, means more to us than just an American holiday, fireworks and barbecued food. Today, eight years ago, our dog Daisie was born.

Well, we assume she was born eight years ago today, as that's when a farmer found her and her sisters. Four newborn pups had been put into a plastic fertilizer bag that was tied with bailing wire and thrown into a bramble covered ditch up a quiet country road! It was a miracle that the man was walking in his field that day and heard the crying. He immediately took the puppies to a local woman who worked with the local no-kill shelter. Based on the looks of the pups and the day that was in it, they had to have been born and disposed of that day.

The pups were raised by this woman in her home for eight weeks, then put them up for adoption. She advertised them on the shelter's website, which is where I first saw them. Daisie's the one in front on the left. When we went to the rescuers home to look at the puppies, they were scrambling around like crazy furballs.

When we heard the story of their discovery and how they came to be in this place we were heartbroken and overjoyed at the same time. How could anyone throw away such adorable fluff muffins?? But how fortunate that one of them chose US to go home with? We would have taken them all if we could.

As we chatted, one puppy came over to us and laid down at our feet. And went to sleep. While the others gamboled around like tops, this pup felt safe enough with us to take a little nap at our feet.

As I was going through the pictures we've taken of her through the years I found it difficult to pick which ones I wanted to share. I first thought one from each year would be fun, but as I started collecting them, two things came to mind:

1) There were too many to choose from. Not everyone loves Daisie like we do so they probably wouldn't want to look through our 'baby pictures.'

2) I started getting sad. Daisie has always been a very healthy dog, but she's getting older and she has early onset canine dysplasia which has gotten much worse in the last year. While she's on medication, we're aware that she won't have as long with us as a dog without dysplasia. Going through all of her pictures made me melancholy. It was like I was putting together a memorial.

So I scrapped the picture for every year idea and decided on these few. Even while I'm still melancholy, I can't help but realize just what a happy dog Daisie is. I couldn't find a single picture in the hundreds we have where she looks anything but happy. And that makes me feel really good that we made the right decision to take home the little pup who fell asleep at our feet.

So here's Daisie over the years doing some of the things that make her the happiest.

This picture was when we took Daisie to a hill farmer friend in West Cork. Border Collies are said to be the smartest dogs on the planet. I can attest to that. But the first day we took Daisie to his farm, he let her loose in one of his fields and we both watch in stunned amazement how she ran up the field, circled the sheep and brought them down to us. No commands. And she'd never been let out with sheep before that day. She'd seen them from the car as we drove, or walking along our road at home, but never like this. Our friend was so impressed with her he offered to buy her! That was never going to happen, but we did let him keep her for a month to train. And so impressed was he that he talked to his chums about her. When we brought her home again we had arranged to take her back three days a week so WE could learn the work. We also attended a regional herding trial held on our friend's farm, where several of the competitors said that Daisie was the talk of the group. Our friend was also so impressed, he suggested we train her for trials. They would help us find a way to get her in even though we couldn't prove her lineage, and that she was fixed. Let me tell you, many of the farmers that day asked if their best dogs could mate with Daisie.

Unfortunately, it was a few months after this time when we had to take Daisie off sheep because we realized her hip wasn't strong enough for the job. She was about two at that time, if I remember correctly. But that's OK. Fun is fun, sheep or toys, it's all the same to Daisie.

This picture up is, obviously, Daisie in the water. I swear, she must have been a tuna in a former life, but cause she LOVES the water. In the summer months when we still lived in West Cork, she could often be found snorkeling in one of the deep areas of the stream along our property. Doesn't matter where she is, if there's water, she's in it. Head under and looking for rocks. She brings them up to us, then races back into the water and waits for us to throw it back in. Then she goes snorkeling again. Rarely does she bring back the same rocks. Doesn't matter. She loves the game.

And it doesn't matter if it's liquid water or the frozen stuff. The next picture is her in the snow. She loves snow about as much as she loves the water. The first time we took her to the snow she loved it so much she refused to get back in the car to go home. It was like herding sheep ourselves as we both surrounded her and guided her to an area where she coundn't escape. We hated having to get her back in the car, but it was getting dark and neither of us fancied staying in the woods all night. And certainly not in the snow. But every chance we've had over the years, we've taken her to the snow.

This last winter was harsh in Ireland and the new place we're living in Kildare was blanketed in snow for a few weeks. The longest snow we've had in 50 years I'm told. Daisie loved it! We took her out often under the guise of going potty, but she'd have none of that. She wanted to play. The above was her sometime this January. I had tossed her a snowball. She caught it in her mouth and it immediately disintegrated. The look here was 'What happened? I had it a second ago!' She's looking at a spot in the snow where she thought it went and was gazing intently, waiting for it to reappear like one of those 'pop goes the weasel' games.

Now that the weather has improved, and we're getting some very long and very warm days, Daisie gets to go out for more play times than in the winter. But some days she prefers to just lay in the sun in my office. As the sun moves across the floor, so does Daisie.

Finally, the last picture is Daisie doing what she loves the most. Waiting for me to throw the ball. This is Daisie's adapted version of a collie crouch. She goes down on her elbows and waits. Her paws crossed. That's supposed to be a sign of intelligence. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that she knows the name of more than 200 toys (including ones she no longer has). She remembers people she's met through her life, even if she doesn't see them very often. And even though she hasn't worked sheep since she was two, her instincts are clear. A few incidents have reminded both myself and my husband how ingrained her instincts are.

Once when another friend was winter his horses on our back property in West Cork, one of them got loose and found its way to our house over the hill. Daisie saw the horse on the rise and ran right out to it. And drove the horse to where I was standing. Incredible.

And recently when we'd taken the dogs to the Curragh in Kildare, where sheep graze in the thousands over several thousand open acres, Daisie spotted some sheep coming over the rise. The Curragh is a great place to take a tennis racket and ball and let the dogs run after it. But when Daisie spotted sheep trotting past the car she abandoned the ball and ran for the sheep. Instincts kicked in and away she went. It was incredible to see her work. This last picture was taken on that day. No sooner had we called her back, she ran up the grass once more and right into her waiting position. And this is the position that greets us every time we take her out for potties. No matter how badly she has to 'go', she always wants to chase the ball first. We can all take a lesson from Daisie, no matter how bad you think you have it. Run around with your friends, play as often as you can, take time to enjoy the sun, and always remember, no matter what, your family loves you.

Happy Birthday, Daisie!!!

I don't usually make such a public announcement of our dogs' birthdays (Poppy was born on Christmas Day!), but with the recent release of my book, A Piece of My Heart, some have asked what inspired me to write the story. Plain and simple. Daisie had a story to tell. Since she can't type, I wrote it for her. Daisie's original name when we got her, rather when she got us, was Molly. (sisters Millie, Minnie and Missie...real original!) Long story short, Daisie is the Molly in my story. And the incident on the farm in the story came from Daisie. So A Piece of My Heart is as much Daisie's story as it is mine. And let's face. She certainly has a piece of MY heart!!

Heart Shaped Scones

2010-06-23T15:08:00.007+01:00

I keep saying I'm going to post a photo of my heart shaped scones and get sidetracked with other things. But I made scones last night and thought I better do it now or live forever with the nickname The Procrastinator! (said with a really bad Arnold accent)

These scones seem appropriate to me in so many ways. Firstly, every time I make them I'm reminded of my recently released book, A Piece of My Heart, and I have to wonder if Kate ever made these for Mick. I'm sure she has!

Also, and it can't be missed...heart shaped stones...scones. Get it? OK, that was lame, but it's cute. Admit it!!

But really, most of all, when I'm making scones I'm usually doing it for company or my dear husband. I'm rarely known for being overly traditional, so cutting the scone dough with a round cutter is just borrrring! And what better way to say 'I love you' to someone than with fresh, home baked scones shaped like hearts? They're something to share...take a big heart shaped scone and break it in two, sharing one side with your lover. And yes, having more than one between you is totally allowed! ;-)

Recently, some of my family came to Ireland for a visit. They arrived on American Mother's Day (Irish Mothering Day is exactly three Sundays before Easter Sunday). Because my cousin's mother-in-law was in the group and they arrived early in the morning, I decided to make a batch of heart shaped scones for their arrival to say, 'Welcome to Ireland, and happy Mother's Day!' Let me tell you. They went over so well I was making scones for breakfast every morning. But it was worth it to see the joy on everyone's faces.

OK, so you're asking for a recipe. I have to admit, I'm a lazy baker, and the Odlums company has made it SO easy for me to bake. They have a wonderful Quick line for making various breads, including scones. Simply dump the contents of the package into a bowl, add 250ml (1 cup) of milk, and mix. Don't over mix. I prefer plain scones, but dried fruit can be added into these very easily, and/or nuts. Whatever you like. This is a great basic scone and very adaptable.

When I do make home made scones, the Joy of Cooking website has a great recipe for Basic Scones.

One tip I must share about baking scones. If you're never sure if they're done, even if they've browned on top, is to use that little bit of dough left over after cutting them out as a timer. Roughly shape it into a slightly flattened round, something about the same height as the cut scones and place in the center of the cookie sheet. When your timer goes off, break open that leftover bit. If it's done inside, the scones are done. If it still feels tacky or looks undone, leave the scones in another couple of minutes. That's the best timer you'll ever need!

However you make your scones, be sure to serve them warm with clotted cream or real butter and homemade jam. Shown here is Ireland's own brand by Folláin's Blackberry Jam. Yum!!

Must mention Folláin jams. They're located in the country village of Ballvourney in West Cork, the village behind our property in the townland of Macroom. Folláin makes their james with 100% fruit, no preservatives, no added colorings, nothing artificial. It's pure fruit, some sugar and a lot of TLC. Folláin is actually the word for wholesome so they have a lot to live up to.

If you'll excuse me now, I'm going to pour myself a glass of milk and have one of these little lovelies!

Goile maith agat! (Irish for bon appétit...and you know what that means!)

A Different Kettle of Fish Altogether

2010-04-23T15:41:00.047+01:00

It wasn't too bad. Actually, it was pretty OK.

My birthday was Saturday the 10th. And for a couple weeks before, my DH (dear husband) Peter kept asking me what I wanted. I kept saying, "A cake and Taco Taco." You'll understand the latter in a minute. To be honest, I didn't expect a cake. I just like winding him up! But he rose to the challenge and brought home a cake Friday evening. Not only did he get a cake, he got a chocolate one! Well, of course we couldn't let it sit until the next day, so on went the candles, out came the extinguisher, and soon there were slices on the plate. And to be fair, that cake was full of cocoa goodness all the way through.

The next day we got up relatively early and took the LUAS light rail into Dublin City for a few hours. The journey is about half an hour, part of which is spent along a section of the Grand Canal, which is really lovely. The Grand Canal and the Royal Canal were built in the mid 18th century as a way to connect Dublin to the west and transport goods.

We disembarked the train on the Jervis Street stop and spent the day between O'Connell Street and Smithfield, which is an area just north of the River Liffey, most of which is locals territory, ie: very few tourists. Our first port of call, Taco Taco!

In all the years I've lived in Ireland and the time I've lived around Dublin, I'd never heard of the Epicurean Food Hall. It was mentioned in discussion on Ravelry when some American expats living here groused about things we missed from America. The main thing was masa harina--lime treated corn meal, effectively, which is used to make corn tortillas, chili rellenos, and other delicious Mexican dishes. One gal said, "Oh, you can get masa in Taco Taco in the food hall." My eyes snapped open. "Say what?" I got the low down on the food hall and put that on my list of first places to visit when we were in the city next. And my birthday was the day!

The food hall appears to be a covered courtyard of sorts, the roof of which is glass. Around the perimeter are ethnic food counters...Greek, Italian (pizza and pasta, and one for coffee and desserts), Pan Asian, German, Turkish (kababs), Irish (Burdock's Fish and Chips), as well as a NY bagel bar, a sandwhich counter, cupcake counter and Mexican. The center of the hall is all seating under the glass roof. As I understand it, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, there's live Irish music and dancing.

So, we come to Taco Taco. This food counter sells all kinds of traditional Mexican yummies...borritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, and yes, tacos. And the prices are really affordable, especially compared to a sit down restaurant. My order of beef tacos was just €4.25. The guacamole was something like 50 cent extra, but well worth the cost. The avocado was fresh, as were the tomatoes, onions and spices in it. The salsa was just as fresh. Peter got a burrito the size of a rocket ship! It was full of beans, rice and roasted chicken. We washed our lunches down with Dr Pepper and contemplated our next plan of action.

Taco Taco also sells a few items for customers to take home, including salsa, mole sauce, tins of tomatillos, frejoles (refried beans...negro and traditional), green sauce, etc. and sacks of Maseca masa harina. They also sell premade corn tortillas in two styles. Didn't know there were two styles! One is a traditional thin yellow tortilla I'm familiar with from home. They're usually fried for tacos and tostadas, or rolled for flautas, or cut for chips. The others were smaller, thicker, and creamy colored. The woman at Taco Taco told me the bigger ones are used for tacos dorados, basically, traditional tacos. The others are for steaming. I made notes of what I wanted so I could return on the way home and buy a few things. Didn't need to carry around a 5 pound sack of corn flour!

From the food hall, we ventured a block down to the River Liffey. Typical of Ireland, the street name changes at just about every junction. When we reached the river, the road to the left (east) is Bachelor's Walk, and to the right (west) is Lower Ormond Street, named for the Earls of Ormond from the 13th century...incidentally, the title passed to Thomas Boleyn, father of Anne Boleyn, and who was given land in the lower midlands. Part of Anne's dowery was a tower near Holycross, Co Tipperary which is now part of the larger Farney Castle. But I digress.

Over the river is the famous Ha'penny Bridge, so named because it used to cost a half penny, or ha'penny, to cross it. It's free today, and just as lovely as it was on opening day. The big archway in the building across the river leads into Temple Bar, famous for traditional Irish food and music. The ugly building in the background is the Central Bank, controversial when it was constructed because it's just so damn ugly.

Directly to the east of the bridge, parallel to Bachelor's Walk, the city built an great boardwalk suspended over part of the river. It's a popular spot for city workers to sit and take their lunches on a fine day, or just stroll without being hampered by street traffic.

On the corner of Lower Ormond and overlooking the bridge is the Dublin Woollen Mills. Don't let the name fool you. It's basically a fabric store with a very small yarn/wool department, but it's been around for years. With so few yarn shops around Ireland, even in Dublin, every little bit helps those with a knitty addiction.

Here's one of Dublin's monuments, a pair of old dears enjoying a good auld chinwag in the sun! Sponsored by Arnott's Dept Store, as you can see by yer wan's bag.

Speaking of Arnott's Dept Store, it's seen here to the extreme right with the red brick architecture. I've said to Peter for years that someone should open and Artoo's beside Arnott's! ;-) It should be noted that Arnott's is Ireland's oldest and largest department store, having been opened in 1843 by Sir John Arnott. The store has three floors and takes up most of the 'block' behind the GPO, which is the General Post Office, on O'Connell Street. Bloody big!

In the distance is the Monument of Light, aka the Millennium Spire, the Spire of Dublin, the Dublin Spire, the Spike, the Spike in the Dyke, the Stiletto in the Ghetto, and the Erection at the Intersection. I kind of like the last one! The spire is 398 feet tall and capped with a light that's supposed to be seen from space. Along with the light at the Luxor in Las Vegas, maybe a few other countries should adopt this and spell out HELP across the planet. Hmm...

Anyway, this road is Henry Street and is just a couple streets up from the river going toward O'Connell Street, which is the main street of the city. Just before O'Connell Street is the famous Moore Street. What makes this side street famous? There's a daily street market here. Mainly produce sellers, but also florists. Market stalls line both sides of the street the full length of the street. And when it's busy, sellers move onto Henry Street. Both streets are mainly pedestrianized during the day.

Where do they get their produce, I hear you ask? There's a place a few blocks away called Smithfield Market. It's a huge enclosed area where wholesalers sell their produce and flowers. They open at 5am and are usually done selling before 8am. This is where most of the restaurants, cafes, and pubs that serve meals get their produce. And the street vendors. Anyone can buy from the market, as long as you buy in bulk. Such as a 50 pound sack of onions, 50 and hundreds of peppers, cauliflower, carrots, younameit. Flowers are the same. You can't just buy one bunch. You buy a bucket of bunches. I didn't get a picture, but late in the morning elderly women go into the market with old prams...you know the ones from the movies with the huge wheels...and buy bananas and grapes. They load up the prams and set up on street corners selling them. They're everywhere in this part of the city, but mainly down around Capel Street.

Prices per item are very reasonable, as produce and flowers are sold wholesale, but since you have to buy so much, you'd almost want to take an order from the neighborhood and rent a van before shopping there. But it's fun to see. Unfortunately, we were way too late on Saturday so we returned on the 19th...when we returned to the city for Peter's birthday. We got there before 9am and the place was ghost town. Still too late. Must try the 6am thing some time!!

OK while I'm in that general direction, across from Smithfield Market is the Market Hacienda Bar. When I first saw it I was half expecting to see senorinas and muchachos wandering around. Reminded me a bit of an old bar from San Juan Bautista back home. Haven't seen it open yet, but I fear it's one of those places you go to at night. Might have to give it a miss, as the market area of the city is a ghost town after hours, and at night would be kinda scary if you're not a local! Still...would be interesting to see the inside of the place.

OK, where was I? Oh yeah, Moore Street Market. We walked up and back on Moore Street to see what was for sale. Loads of fruit and veg, but nothing remarkable. I always have my eyes open for artichokes whenever I see a farmer's market or produce market. Sadly, none of those there. Just lots of carrots, onions, potatoes, leeks, beets, etc.

From there, we went into Ilac Shopping Centre. This is a typical indoor shopping center with clothes shops everywhere. Down the center of the mall was a little kiddy go karts and a place for kids to do a sort of bungie swinging. For €4 you can put your under ten on the cables and watch them bounce up and down. One boy who got on thought he was starring in the Olympics, as he was doing backflip after backflip after backflip. He tried to do front flips but couldn't quite get it. He persevered though and eventually figured out that if he put his arms on the front of the cables his center of balance shifted and he'd be able to make it over frontways. He was very proud of himself with the accomplishment.

We sat at a little kiosk selling cupcakes and coffee while we watched the kids. Johnnie Cupcakes is a funny name, but the cupcakes were really good. They have all kinds of flavors and colors, and they specialize in making birthday cakes in the shape of giant cupcakes.

From there we wandered down Mary Street, going toward Smithfield Market...though we didn't realize the market was so close at the time. Mary Street is going into the locals area of the city. Shops cater to local needs. Just as we crossed into locals territory, we spotted the Church Restaurant. Mary's Church was converted not too long ago into a restaurant, and the area surrounding the church is alfresco dining. Behind the church the old gravestones were pulled off the ground and stacked at the back of what they eventually turned into a plaza. Benches surround the center plaza and on one side are all rental bicycles, courtesy of the bike sharing scheme through Dublin Bikes. It's a really cool idea and a great way to get around the city quickly while not having to use a car, bus or train.

There's some great Georgian and Victorian architecture spread around the city, including this part of the city. Such as this Georgian building which now houses AXA Insurance. It's amazing that the decor on these buildings have remained intact for so long, especially in an inner city location. The plaster and stone work on this building in particular is impressive. And during restoration, the building was painted in one of the traditional Georgian colors. Really pretty. But, what do I see? Are those cannabis stems near the window arches? Hmm...

From this point on, the area became a very 'locals only' place. Hubba hubba!! OK, I'll try to keep this clean. At the corner of Mary Street and Upper Jervis Lane(?) was Erotic Glam World, which doubled as a head shop. EGW's store front showed off erotic glamor wear...teddies, bra and panty sets, that sort of thing. But there was a 'rear entrance' down the alley. The walk of shame includes this interesting mural. The front door was half open through which was very dark standing outside in the bright light. But there was something golden glowing which caught my attention. I tried not to be obvious, but I tried to focus on the guy standing in the doorway. He wore a black leather get-up...mask over his head, silver studded straps crisscrossing his chest, chaps on his legs, and a thong looking thing. Poking out of his thong was a rampant...for the lack of a cleaner word...fake ding dong! This was a mannequin stood near the door to grab attention. Well, the leather get-up at the door was an attention-getter alright, but the shocker was how the golden ding dong shone in the sunlight. I don't shock easily, but this was shocking. "Peter, Peter, look at this. Look. Look, damn it!!" He'd already seen it and was hightailing it down Mary Street away from the shop. Smart man. I was going to take out my camera for a picture. "Peter, come back and stand by the door!! Where you going??" ;-)

Needless to say, no pictures of Ding Dong Man, but I did get this picture. The Sinn Fein office on Parnell Street. The banner has been up a while, as it's celebrating 100 years of unbroken continuity, 1905-2005. I guess that makes 105 years, lads! Time to change the banner. Ironically, next door is their local, affectionately called Mischief! Another pub that would be interesting to see the insides of, but it looks like another night time pub.

We walked up and down Capel Street, which is known for shops full of furniture and antique stores. I only saw one antique store though, but it was big. I had to go in just to look. They had some incredible Tiffany style lamps, loads of antique mirrors, fireplace surrounds, hundreds of lead crystal chandeliers, some furniture, and other household items. I wanted to buy one of the old well buckets for my yarn, but was pulled away. Probably a good thing.

From here we walked the rest of the length of Mary Street and found Smithfield Market, as above. Once the market is closed, there's nothing, nada, zilch, zero to do in the area, so we walked back up Mary Street to the Church, cut across the plaza and went into Jervis Street Shopping Centre for wee. When we lived in Shankill and Bray, we often took the DART train into the city on the weekend and headed to Jervis. Being back after about ten years was kind of startling. Nothing changed. It was like we were there yesterday. It was so much "the same old thing" that we just used the toilet and left. The main entrance into Jervis is on the corner of Jervis Street and Middle Abbey Street, and across the road from the Jervis Street stop for the LUAS light rail.

We still had one more stop to make before getting back on the train. You got it, Taco Taco! I couldn't leave the city without a sack of Maseca and a pack of both types of corn tortillas. Of course, while there, we rehydrated. Me with water and Peter with a cup of mud from the Italian coffee counter. Really, I think it was a short Americano with a double shot, but what do I know about coffee?? And we shared a portion of chips from Leo Burdock's Fish and Chips, est 1913. Burdock's has a reputation for being the best fish and chips in Dublin. I can't speak for the fish, other than it looks really good, but the chips were just kind of same-old same-old to me. I'm just not a fan of greasy chips. But, they were pretty OK as far as greasy chips go.

While we relaxed before getting back on the train, we people-watched. As a writer, I refer to it as researching ;-) There are some interesting characters in Dublin, but by far the best was a man sitting near us. He was a very unassuming kind of guy dressed for the cool outdoors, ready for anything with a novel in his pocket and his satchel full of who knows what. It wasn't long before a little face appeared in his arms. A little dog! He sat there for the longest time just stroking the dog's head while it slept. Both seemed very content.

Overall, both Peter and I had a nice time in the city, which is saying a lot for me, as I normally hate cities. They're too crowded, too dirty, too noise, too many rude people. But we had a great time and the weather was really good. We just wandered, looked at architecture, watched the people, ate some good food, and did a little window shopping.

Other than Mexican corn products, I did come away with one other purchase. I live in Crocs when I'm home. They're better than slippers and I can be seen in public with them if I wear them shopping! Would you believe our local supermarket has a sign at the door telling people they'll be ushered out of the store if they come in wearing their PJs? Cool! Someone has to set some standards!! Anyway, Crocs has a new line out on the style of Vans called Crocbands. Already having a pare of orange and purple Crocs in the old style, I was drawn to the new style. In red no less! Cool or what? OK, yes, I also bought the little catapiller on the toe. Hey, I'm a big kid at heart! If the shop had better Jibbitz, I'da probably bought more of them. **I'm looking for the monarch butterfly, so if anyone sees one...

As I mentioned, we returned to Dublin on the 19th, as it was Peter's birthday. We stuck to the same area for the most part. Our main purpose of the trip was to get into Smithfield Market to see the early morning trading, but as I also mentioned, by 9am it was well-over! We wandered inside the market building though, which still had a few traders in it.

The name Smithfield comes from the Irish Margadh na Feirme, meaning Farm Market. The area was originally laid out in the mid 17th century as am open area surrounded by innercity farm yards for livestock. Under the HARP program (Historic Area Rejuvenation Plan), the area was remodeled, using plans won in an architectural competition in 1997! Part of the restoration included lifting over 400,000 cobblestones, most of then 100-120 years old, hand cleaning them, then relaying them to form a modern square, or plaza, which is now surrounded by buildings housing apartments and offices. The square was meant to host concerts and other outdoor entertainment, but locals complained so nix to that plan! However, the traditional Smithfield Horse Market is still ongoing. The horse market takes place every first Sunday of the month. This isn't a high quality horse market by any stretch of the imagination. More often than not, horse traders are of questionable repute and horses aren't always in the best condition. There are a lot of nags. It's not uncommon for young boys to be seen dressed as adults and haggling with the best of the grownups.

It's the Dublin City Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Market which is in the old Victorian warehouse that I referred to above, and is more commonly called Smithfield Market.

The area is coming to be known as the Museum District, as the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks is also in line with Jervis, Smithfield and the Four Courts. We'll eventually wander this area too, so watch this space!

However, the one museum we did happen upon was on the corner of Jervis Street and Mary Street. I kid you not, there is a Leprechaun Museum in Ireland! An American woman and her young daughter were in the food hall when we were there the 19th (waiting for lunch time to come around so we could have tacos before getting back on the train for home). She'd asked a woman beside us where the Leprechaun Museum was. The woman told her she thought someone was playing a joke on her. She'd lived in Dublin her whole life and never heard of such a place. I remembered hearing something about the museum opening, but didn't know where it was. I kind of thought it was an April Fools prank so I didn't think anything of it. Before I could ask the woman if she knew which street it was on, she was gone. Well, walking back to the train I spotted it a block away. So YES, the Leprechaun Museum DOES exist. And I'm SO taking my family there when they're here in two weeks!

Observations...once you get out of the tourist areas...Temple Bar, O'Connell Street, St Stephen's Green, etc...and go into a locals community, it's a whole other world. Sure, there are tourists around, but not many. But the characters on the street are very memorable in their own way: from the produce and flower stall vendors to the banana ladies with their prams, from those with no fashion sense to those with their own style. They're all there. The area around The Church seemed to be like a joining of the waters where the posh and not-so-posh rubbed elbows.

And the areas where we walked, there seemed to be a huge number of eateries. A few take-away kind of places, but a startlingly large number of nice sit-down places open for lunch and dinner. No wonder, I discovered on Monday that the Four Courts (court house) is at the edge of where we wandered, therefore a lot of solicitors and other officials, as well as friends and family of those on trial, would be looking for meals and snacks.

There are three LUAS stops in this general area...at the Four Courts, Smithfield, and Jervis...and we wandered around just about all of it. There's a lot of dereliction, but there's a lot of urban renewal, too. I believe now that the LUAS is bringing more people into those parts of the city that people can't help but fix the place up. And with the more upscale areas around Jervis and the Four Courts, and with the Smithfield reconstruction not too long ago, any derelict buildings will soon be given new lives.

However one sees Dublin City, or just parts of it, there will always be something interesting to see and do. And failing that, just sit and watch, because it'll be an entirely different kettle of fish altogether from what you're used to, as we see here on a building along Ormond Quay.

Leighlinbridge Castle, aka Black Castle

2010-04-06T18:21:00.005+01:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything, but there really hasn't been much to talk about. Not unless you want to read about snow and ice, and the fact that Spring is really late in coming to Ireland. Over the last week or so though, it seems to have exploded. Or at least, the daffodils are out finally.
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With the better weather--notice I didn't say brilliant weather--we're able to get out at least one day on the weekend and take a spin around to see the area around where we moved October last year. Sunday, that journey took us south of Monasterevin for a change to a place called Leighlinbridge, pronounced as lough-linbridge, not lee. Very strange, but what do I know?!
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Our main reason for the journey, which is about an hour drive, was for the Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden Centre, which is an interesting place. They're on about twenty-two acres of ground overlooking the River Barrow, which flows out of County Kildare and eventually out to sea near Waterford. The center is a mix of homewares, garden and pets. They have a restaurant on site, an aquatic shop, manicured gardens with interesting sculpture overlooking the river, a chocolate shop, woollen mills, and the plants, of course. The place immediately reminded us of a similar place in Welshpool, Wales called Coed-y-Dinas, though on a much smaller scale.
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The food in the center was actually very good. It's obviously a popular place for the traditional Sunday lunch! For those not there to eat, there was plenty to do. I was particularly taken with the dog toys, rabbits (they sell angora's!), and kitchenware. Overall, it was an interesting couple of hours.
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Afterwards, we took a spin around the locale. Leighlinbridge is a small village on the river. It was founded in Normal times, but was inhabited long before that, as Kings of Leinster had their seat nearby. The town gets its name from the Irish Leithghlinn an Droichid, which means Bridge of the Half-Glen. The bridge in the village spans the Barrow with five large arches and it said to be one of the oldest continual functioning stone arch bridges in not just Ireland, but Europe. It was built in stone in the 14th century.
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The castle beside the bridge is known as Black Castle and dates back to about 1180 when the original timber keep was most probably built by Hugh de Lacy, though it's also been credited to John de Clahull in 1181. de Lacy has the stronger history though. The current stone keep was built by Sir Edward Bellingham in 1547 who named the keep Black Castle. Bellingham was Lord Deputy of Ireland, as he was a reputed man of war, and kept his finest horses here. His career was short-lived though, as he passed away in 1549 just as the castle was completed.
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The castle was sacked in 1650 and eventually fell in the Cromwellian war, 1649-1653, and today the keep looks much as it did after it's destruction, which includes the 50 foot tower and partial bawn walls. I'd love to return the next time we're in the area and take a stroll through it, if it's open to the public. Nothing like castle trolling!

Interview with Kris Kringle

2009-12-16T17:55:00.003Z

Interview with Kris Kringle
By Kemberlee Shortland, copyright December 2009

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with RIO, Kris. We understand how busy you must be this time of year. {Santa laughs}

What can you tell us a bit about yourself, your family, and your job?

{thinking, eyes rolling toward ceiling briefly} I was born in Patara of Lycia, now Turkey, sometime in the middle of the 3rd century {winks}. When you're my age, the exact date doesn't seem to matter. Ho, ho, ho! {belly jiggles like a bowl of jelly} I was raised in a monastery in Myra when my folks passed away. When I was 30 I became the Bishop of Lycia. Of course, back then I was called Nicholas.

I'm married to Mrs. Claus. In all our years of wedded bliss, she still won't tell me what her first name is {lifting brow and muttering something about complicated women}. We weren't blessed with our own children, but we have hundreds of elves living with us now. And well, we've kind of adopted the children of the world as our own, haven't we? {smiles with cheeks like roses}

I think I've got the best job in the world. I work one twenty-four hour shift then I'm off for the rest of the year. Ho, ho, ho! If you believe that, maybe you should get coal in your stocking this year {winks}. Seriously, being Santa Claus is no laughing matter. Certainly the 24th is the busiest night of the year for Claus and Company, but the rest of the year we put in long days and sometimes the evenings too. We now have billions of names to check, crosscheck and re-check again to be sure they're on the right list. Then there are the letters we get from those little tykes asking for special presents. We have a special department for that. Then there's production, quality control, engineering…we've quite a large manufacturing facility at the North Pole. Sure, I could just wiggle my nose and make presents appear, but that wouldn't be any fun now, would it? {winks, touches the side of his nose in "that way"}

What do you enjoy the most about being Mr. Christmas?

Ho, ho, ho! Oh, there's just so much about being me I enjoy. I get to meet people from all over the world. I know all the languages. Even that silly hand thing they do on the lower east side {shakes head, incredulous}.

I love to give gifts too, but only to the good boys and girls. For the bad girls and boys I have a coal shed out back {winks}. Hey, where do you think we get the coal for the stockings?

How did you get started and interested in gift giving? When did Christmas begin?

Back in the old days, and I'm going back to the 3rd century, I used to be creative with my hands. I'd carve and shape things all year, and save them up for the big day. I had this cute little donkey, Ho, ho, ho…that was his name, Ho, ho, ho…and we'd ride out across the countryside once a year and deliver the toys to poor children. Word got around and the wealthy parents were commissioning things for their kids. Then neighboring communities found out and they wanted things for their kids and well, it just snowballed…pardon the pun.

It was after they made me a saint that I moved to the North Pole. I was hoping for a little peace and quiet up there. Then I met the Elvises. Nice little family with pointy ears and funny shoes. Requests for gifts kept pouring in so the Elvises helped me set up shop, and well…you know the rest.

Do you have any favorite toys?

{looks around quickly, narrows his gaze then whispers} I promised Mrs. Claus I wouldn't talk about those {winks}.

{interviewer clears throat} Moving right along... What has been your best memory of Christmas so far?

Ho, ho,ho! By far the feeling I get when I see the joy on the little one's faces when they receive their special Santa gifts {sighs}.

Do you have a routine you follow during the year to help get in shape for the big night?

{groaning} You know, I tried that low carb diet and the South Beach Diet. Poor Mrs. Claus suffered through the week I was on the cabbage soup diet. Who am I kidding? The poor Elvis's threatened to quit if I didn't have more windows installed in the factory, or more gas masks. In the end, I just stopped dieting. My good friend and mentor Father Time reminded me that I'm immortal and that a skinny Santa just wasn't right. Ho, ho, ho! I do have to pace myself though. At every stop is a plate of cookies or Christmas cake waiting and a glass of milk {rubs belly}.

What do you find the hardest about preparing for Christmas?

You know, if I had a few more hours in the day I'd like to relax a little, maybe sit by the hot tub a little more, get one of those little Jamaican gals to come up and braid my beard {glancing around quickly for Mrs. Claus then grins}.

Seriously, a few more hours in the day wouldn't go amiss, especially on the 23rd. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to pack a few billion toys onto that little sleigh? {shakes head, disbelieving}

What is your biggest pet peeve about the holidays? Is there anything that turns you off about Christmas?

Heck yeah! I think the whole thing has gotten too commercial. Back in the old days, it was about love and family and community. Today it's all about "keeping up with the Jones's." Kids want toys better than the kid next door, Mom's trying to bake herself into exhaustion, Dad's obsessive about the turkey. I tell you, Spot and Whiskers have it right. Just camp out by the fire all day with your legs in the air. Ho, ho, ho!

{wipes tears of laughter from eyes} I think we should get back to homemade gifts, things we create especially for someone that come from the heart, that's what Christmas is all about. Tell someone you love them. That's the best gift anyone could get {points finger}.

{interviewer runs a nervous finger under collar to loosen, clears throat} Do you have much time to read?

I love to read. It's a great way to escape for a few hours. I especially love them romance ones. Gives a man ideas! {glances side to side checking for eavesdroppers}

Unfortunately, the only time I get any peace is in the "necessary" so I read in there quiet often.

What books are you anxious to grab when they come available?

Oh, just about anything really. I love to read. Over the centuries I've learned to read quickly so I can go through a couple books a day. I especially love exotic locations. You know, living in the snow all the time really makes me appreciate sunnier climates.

Like Jamaica?

Ho, ho, ho!

Do you have any aspirations to write a book of your own someday?

Ho, ho, ho! Maybe one day I'll write my memoir, but for now I'll just stick to Naught or Nice Lists. {scratches chin through his thick beard} You know, if I was anyone else, I'd publish those Naught Lists {winks}.

You haven't mentioned the reindeer yet. How's the gang doing?

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudy are all doing well. Dash and Vixen hooked up. Dancer and Prancer are an item now too. Comet, Donner and Blitzen are sharing quarters now, but we don't talk about that. To each their own {rolling eyes}.

What about Rudolf and Cupid?

Rudy's a playboy. The girls love his red nose. He's ever the gentleman, but to Mrs. Claus's disappointment, we don't think he'll ever settle down. But you never know, do you?

Cupid {sighs}…Cupid's a lover. Loves everyone, everyone loves Cupid. We're afraid that he spends too much time playing matchmaker that he'll never find his own match. {taps the side of his nose} The Elvis's are onto something though. Can't say yet, but {makes imaginary quote marks in the air} watch this space. Ho, ho, ho!

{interviewer grins} Tell us something we'd be shocked to discover about you. Kris?

I have an all over body tan. There's this great little nude beach in Jamaica....{attention wanders reflectively}

{clearing throat to get things back on track} Is there anything you'd like to add to this interview, Kris?

Ho, ho, ho! I'd like to wish all the boys and girls a Meeeerrrrrry Christmas {he sings}. There's still some redemption time left before the big night. You know who you are out there {lifts a single fluffy brow}. Do some good deeds between now and the 24th and that lump of coal will become a special gift in your stocking.

Thank you very much Kris for the time spent doing this interview. It's always great, getting to know our Saints better.

Ireland's Heritage Week: Macroom

2009-08-28T11:46:00.010+01:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted here, but my excuse is that my mother's been visiting over the summer and I've spent all my free time with her rather than sitting in front of the computer. I'll catch up soon, but I wanted to post a few pictures from Heritage Week here in Macroom.

Heritage Week is a national Irish event. Here in Macroom, our knitting group got together and collected some traditional Irish knitting and put them on display. One display cabinet is full of tea cozies and another is a series of socks in various stages of construction. There are also a few samples of traditional Aran patterns that go onto jumpers (pullovers) and cardigans (sweaters).

Hanging up in another part of the library are some FOs (finished objects) from some of the knitters. One woman brought in a couple crocheted tops she made a couple years ago.

Other ladies brought in some cardigans, one of which is a masterpiece of traditional Aran stitchwork.

The shawl in the photo is mine. It's the red garment hanging on the right. It's made with a stitch pattern called Feather and Fan. It's actually a stitch that originated on the Shetland Islands of Scotland, but it's made its way to Ireland many years ago and is a much beloved pattern. I've made several scarves with this patter in recent months, but I love the shawl. I used a baby alpaca wool so it's ultra soft and warm too!

I'll probably get slaughtered for this, but here's a picture of my friend Ruth who brought her spinning wheel into the library for demos. It was really great to see her working the wool into something worth knitting. She had a collection of Jacob's wool, which is that crazy looking four horned sheep, and a selection of predyed wool from Kerry Woollen Mills. I know she's been spinning some of this wool for a blanket she's making. I can't wait to see it when it's done. I know how much work she's putting into it. It should be stunning!

Finally, here's another picture I'll probably get slapped for. This is Ilene who's standing beside her great grandmother's cloak. She said the cloak dates back to pre-Famine times...the Famine being 1840-1845. The cloak is in remarkable condition, considering its age. There were two cloaks on display. The other was a younger cloak but in terrible condition, as it was moth-eaten and torn. Ilene's cloak is a real gem. It really should be in a museum.

These cloaks, also known as hooded cloaks, were the traditional garment worn in many parts of Ireland. The way the cloak is displayed, it looks a bit like a Middle Eastern burqa. But when worn properly, the ruffles surround the face of the wearer with the hood hanging down the back to catch the woman's hair. The big ruffle is meant to direct rain away from the face, and the length of the cloak would protect the woman's dress and protect her from the cold.

There were other traditional garments around Ireland. In places like Galway, women wore shawls like those seen in the movie The Quiet Man. In fact, all of the shawls worn in the movie were bought from the "Shawlies," as the women were called then, for use in the movie. As cheesy as this movie was, there was quiet a bit of authenticity about it.

And of course, there is the traditional Aran jumper, which has all the different stitches.

Also on display in the Macroom Library is a photographic display of the railway history of Macroom. Maybe locals still remember when the train came through town, as it made it's way between Cork City and Killarney in County Kerry. But with the increase in wealth and more people being able to afford cars, train use fell in popularity and eventually most rail lines around Ireland were pulled up and sold to India. Of course, with the increase in tourism into Ireland, those rail lines could really come in handy with travelers who don't want coach tours or to hire a car of their own. Who knows? Maybe one day Macroom will have a light rail of some kind to move people into the city as part of a commuter transport program. Might be a cheaper option to that bypass they keep promising us!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos.

My first harvest and more signs of summer

2009-06-05T13:35:00.007+01:00

I'm so excited, I had to share. I've harvested my first homegrown artichokes. They weren't very big, but they were yummy and a great taste of home. There are several chokes still growing along the main stem that I hope will be ready by the time we return from Wales at the end of the month. We have a wonderful neighbor who will come up every few days to make sure all my pots are watered, so there's hope!
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Our neighrbor is terrific. Our house sits in the center of a field, essentially, and we've gone through two lawn mowers trying to keep the grass under control. He comes up with a 1964 David Brown tractor with grass blades on it and in 15 minutes the grass has been subdued!
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Anyway, summer seems to have arrived in Ireland at last. There were reports during the week of temperatures reaching as much as 35C in the midlands. 35C is 95F to us Westerners! Pretty dang hot for Ireland. Down at our place, temps reached 76-78F on Wednesday. Just right for me!!
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Last Sunday we had an interesting experience. It was a scorcher of a day and were at home...doing the last minute tidy before mom's arrival next week! One of the dogs started barking, which drew our attention to the front of the property. In the front of our gate at the street was a man who looked like he was on safari...dressed in khaki, wellies and a pith helmet, and carrying binoculars, which were trained on our trees! My DH went out to see what the story was, and it turns out that Mr Safari was a member of a conservation group of birdwatchers, and he was going around the area making notes of which birds were around, including the migratory birds. He was watching our trees because he'd just spotted a bird that's rarely seen in this area!
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My DH invited Mr Safari to come off the road and take a walk onto our back property. It's located well off the road and is really wild. Mr Safari jumped at the chance. He finished his walking route to he river at the end of our road, then came back. He was only up there about ten minutes then came back to ask if he could come back with a friend and take some pictures. He said he wasn't back there five minutes and spotted TWO species of birds that have never been recorded in this area. He didn't say what they were, but he's coming back in July with a friend to spend a few hours on the back property to see whatelse they can find. This will be a really important find for local history, as it turns out. Our local bypass road was halted because of rare slugs in a woods they wanted to take down. If other rare and unusual species of wildlife are discovered, the whole bypass could be either completely rerouted or halted entirely.
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With the change in the seasons, we're still seeing a change in the flora. Our back yard has seen spreads of plantego change to spreads of shamrock to spreads of dandelions. Now we have spreads of meadow buttercups and germander speedwell. Speedwell is a very tiny blue flower so you don't normally see it unless you're on top of it, so yard was looking very yellow again. But the speedwell is really coming on this year and there are patches of blue everywhere.

Another plant that's common to damp areas, such as around our stream, is something called cow parsley. It's also known as Queen Anne's Lace and is a member of the carrot family. They're fairly prolific. Every summer we have to go into the stream and pull them out by hand. Some of them have stems on them as big as a mans wrist! But they're beautiful when they bloom.

We've also been seeing a large number of buff tailed bumblebees. I have a potted thyme that's kind of taken over the pot now and has really beautiful little blue flowers on it. The bumblebees seem to love it. By the looks of this one, the buttercups are a popular flower to feast on, too!

50 Greatest TV Shows

2009-05-23T11:58:00.002+01:00

Empire Magazine has revealed its list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows ever.

1. Bold the shows you watch/used to watch.
2. Italicize the shows you’ve seen at least one episode of.
3. Underline the shows you own on DVD (at least one season).
4. Post your answers.

50. Quantum Leap
49. Prison Break
48. Veronica Mars
47. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
46. Sex & The City
45. Farscape
44. Cracker
43. Star Trek
42. Only Fools and Horses
41. Band of Brothers
40. Life on Mars (UK version only)
39. Monty Python
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
37. Star Trek: The Next Generation
36. Father Ted
35. Alias
34. Frasier
33. CSI Las Vegas
32. Babylon 5
31. Deadwood
30. Dexter
29. ER
28. Fawlty Towers
27. Six Feet Under
26. Red Dwarf
25. Futurama
24. Twin Peaks
23. The Office
22. The Shield
21. Angel
20. Blackadder
19. Scrubs
18. Arrested Development
17. South Park
16. Dr Who
15. Heroes
14. Firefly
13. Battlestar Galactica
12. Family Guy
11. Seinfeld
10. Spaced
09. The X-Files
08. The Wire
07. Friends
06. 24
05. Lost
04. The West Wing
03. The Sopranos
02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
01. The Simpsons

I think I watch too much TV!

Baby's got a new pair of shoes

2009-05-18T14:20:00.017+01:00

OK, don't get all excited. They're not Manola Blahnik's, but I like them.

Purple Crocs!!

What's not to like?

They're PURPLE!!

We were in Killarney on Saturday, doing our duty by donating a bunch of stuff to St Vincent de Paul's, and we stopped in at the outlet center for coffee...well, coffee for Peter. In the outlet center is a Low Alpine store. These stores sell a lot of hiking, biking and camping gear. And they just got in a new shipment of Crocs. I saw the purple ones from outside the shop, halfway across the center! They've always sold lavender, but this is the first time I've ever seen the dark purple ones. I already have a pair of orange Crocs, and dad sent a pair of chefs Crocs in black a while back. So, now I have THREE pairs of Crocs. One day I'll have a rainbow collection of the bloody things! ;-)

I'm feeling very girly at the moment. This time last year, I had three pairs of shoes...Reeboks, dress shoes and mountain boots. Now, I practically need a separate room for my shoes!

Speaking of shoes...my husband travels a few times of year for work. He's recently traveled into Germany, France and England, but most recently he went to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I never get to go with him, but he's a real sweetheart and always brings me something to make up for me having to stay home alone.

I made a joke when he was leaving this time that I wanted a pair of clogs, since he was going to Holland...technically North Holland. And when he came back he brought me a clog alright!

In Holland, souvenir shops sell ceramic clog planting pots that are filled with seasonal bulbs. They're health

certified for taking back to the United States and Canada, too. Obviously, there's no way all of the ten bulbs will fit in this planter, but the overall item is a great way to remember your trip to Holland!

In my case, tulips are out of season now, but my clog was full of Gladiolus's. I wish our shed was in now so I could plant the glad's around it. They grow up to about four feet in height and would make a great statement against the side of the shed. What I'll end up doing it putting them into a big pot, then next season I'll transfer the bulbs into the ground.

And since I'm talking about plants...again...I have to share this picture.

This time last year dad and his lady friend visited us again. When they went home, I sent them with a couple clippings from our blackcurrant bushes.

When we bought our house in 2001 we took a walk around our property. I found a great tree with these amazing leaves on it. I thought they'd look very pretty in a vase of water in the house so I snipped a few. About a week later, the cuttings had sprouted roots. I eventually planted them in pots, the into the ground. Then they started to bloom and fruit. I took a clipping to our favorite garden center, Griffin's Garden Centre, and was told it was indeed a blackcurrant and not a tree. Cool!

Getting back to "the folks," last year they took a couple clippings home. They were literally just a couple sticks wrapped in damp papertowels and protected in a ZipLock bag. Once home, they put the clippings into a vase of water and waited for them to sprout. Tah-dah! They now have a plant that's about four feet tall, as you can see here.

And I'm embarrassed to admit that their plant looks healthier than ours do! But we have more fruit :-) BUT, their bush is only a year old, so it has time to mature and really get its fruit on!

"The folks" love the stories they bring back with them from Ireland. After their first trip, when they brought back a few rocks and some daffodil bulbs, and now this trip with their blackcurrants, they have loads to talk about with their friends. Each rock and the daffodils have their own stories, and now the blackcurrants with theirs.

In the case with the blackcurrants, the original bush at the back of our property was actually part of an old garden! Our property from was originally part of a much larger piece of land owned by a local family and dates back many, many decades. The blackcurrant was the last of the plants in the original garden. Between the blackcurrants in the garden and the wild blackberries, the family had gallons of berries for preserves. We collected twelve pounds of blackberries two years ago and made jam and we're STILL going through it.

Watch for a post on making blackberry jam at the end of September!

The Sweater Saga and a Choke Update

2009-05-15T14:51:00.016+01:00

A couple years ago I participated in a Secret Santa gift giving program through the Irish Knitters Group on Ravelry. It was my first time doing something like this and really enjoyed it.

My secret pal, Aileen, sent me a lovely package that included fabulous pair of huge Fair Trade buttons. They're white ceramic that have been hand-painted with cobalt blue. Where the layers overlap it looks vaguly purply-teal. Really pretty, as you can see. But two buttons didn't seem like enough, so I bought a few more. Love em! I also bought some heart shaped ones in the same color and style, but that's another topic!
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Since receiving the package I've been looking for just the right yarn to make a cardigan where I could use the buttons. At the time, I had just been turned onto a yarn called Noro Silk Garden so I knew I'd use that, but what colorway? I found the "blue" (colorway 264B) looked the best with these buttons. I love Silk Garden, but it's a striping yarn. I didn't want to be covered in blue strips, so I decided I wanted to do a new stitch I'd learned called entrelac. Entrelac is a French term meaning interlacing or woven. The effect makes the resulting fabric look woven. It's done in short rows that come out looking like diamonds, and with this type of yarn, the diamonds look like they meld between color changes. And while I love the effect, I didn't want to be covered in what's essentially basket weave! So I decided that the entrelac would be along the hem and cuffs, which meant I needed a color for the body work.
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I'd originally chosen a wool, Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal Tweed in a blue denim sort of color. I wasn't thrilled, but it was the best of my choices at the time. It worked up quickly and I had the back and both front panels done and started on one sleeve. Then I stopped. I didn't like how it was coming out. The wool was too stiff and I didn't like the texture. Silk Garden is 40% silk, 40% mohair and 20% lambs wool. It's relatively soft when worked up, and the 100% pure wool of the tweed just wasn't working for me.
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What else I didn't like about it was that I'd started with the entrelac hem and joined the tweed when I was ready to work the rest of the panels. but in doing so, it left big holes between the yarns where the joined. I thought I could live with it, but with the holes and the stiff wool, and the ugly side seams on the entrelac, I decided it wasn't working for me.
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So I ripped the whole thing out.
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Since then I've been looking for just the right yarn for the body and sleeves. The search went on for about 9 months. But as soon as I saw the yarn I wanted, I knew it was "the one" and couldn't not get it.
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The yarn is Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend in what I call Peacock Blue, but the company calls Orinoco Blue (colorway 2444). You can see here how well the colors go together. You can probably also see how they compliment each other in the first picture.
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I'm designing this cardigan myself so it's not just a labor of love, it's also a learning experience. I've written out the base of the pattern and am tweaking as I'm knitting. I'm using one of my favorite sweaters as a guideline for measurements, which helps.
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So now, after a month of mainly knitting at night over episodes of CSI, Fringe, and the rest, I've finally managed to get to a stopping point on the back panel. I'm knitting the cardigan from the top down this time, as the entrelac will join with the plain knitting better. And I've now started the first of the two front panels. When the time comes, I'll join the side seams and do the entrelac in one piece along the bottom.
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My current problem is making button holes big enough for these massive buttons!
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So...on which side do buttons go on a woman's cardigan!! ;-)
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~*~

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A little catch-up on the artichoke saga...

Choke 1 is the first one and is now about the size of a man's fist. The side leaves are starting to produce secondary blooms. I'm not sure when the top globe should be harvested, but I'm sure once it has been that the smaller ones will come on quickly.
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Choke 2 is about half the size of #1 and the leaves are starting to produce secondary blooms too.
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It's choke 3 that I'm worried about. Looks a bit like it's been watered with run off from Monty Burns's nuclear factory! At least it's blooming something.
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Now I just need to learn how to make my own mayo so that I can say I grew my own chokes and will eat them with my own mayo. But...does that mean I have to raise my own chickens so I can say I used my own eggs? I. Don't. Think. So! Gotta draw the line somewhere.
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Next project, hopefully this weekend, will be to plant the seed potatoes that are sprouted in the bag we carried them home in! I've got some purples in there. Should be interesting!

Perfect Summers Day

2009-05-02T22:15:00.010+01:00

It was the perfect summers day in Ireland today. The weather couldn't have been any better. I thought I'd share a few photos.

Here's Daisie playing in the stream. The sun caught this one section under our crabapple trees and she took the opportunity to go snorkling. This is where she puts her whole head under water and looks for rocks to bring me so I can throw them back in the water so she can go snorkling again. The funny thing is that she doesn't quite get them back to me. She ends up taking them to the edge of the stream and expects me to climb down and get them. Not bloody likely! I was wet enough just throwing the ball into the water for Poppy who DID have sense enough to bring it back so I could throw it again. The problem with Poppy is that she can go for hours where Daisie usually gets bored with a game and then she's away with the fairies. The exception is when she's in the water, where she kept snorkling for rocks and still kept taking them to the edge of the water but not up to me. Goofy dog!

Once both dogs were sufficiently wet, I brought them out of the water one at a time for a bath. Poppy first, since she was already at my side with a ball hanging out of one side of her mouth and her tongue from the other side!

Then it was Daisie's turn and once she saw the soap bottle in my hand she headed back into the stream and refused to come out. I don't understand it, and I probably don't need to, but she LOVES water. Doesn't matter where she is, if she spots a big puddle, pond or the sea, she's in it. But the hose with water coming out? No way! Well, eventually she came out and begrudgingly let me wash her.

Then I ran them to get as much of the water off them as possible before the sun went in and they had to come in the house. Anyone who's been to our house or knows us knows that we use a tennis racket to whack a ball up the backyard, which is about a half acre. They see me pick up the racket and ball and they're instantly up the back and waiting for me to hit the ball to them. It's a great way to exercise collies, let me tell you. After about 15 minutes, Daisie is usually ready to play another game, but Poppy is all about running, and if it means hitting the ball for another 15 minutes to wear her out, who am I to deny her? So here they are, above, laying on the back steps in the sun, catching their breath and the last of the afternoon sun. Ah! It's a dog's life!!

Here are a couple more shots of what's growing around our property. Left is a very old white hawthorn tree that has buds coming in all over. Unlike the crabapple tree which is next to it, the buds are coming in green rather than pink. The flowers will be striking white when they've bloomed, so stay tuned for that picture. They're absolutely stunning.

Lastly, we have a Carnival Tulip. I've tried growing tulips in the ground around where the daffodils are in front of the little stone structure in our front yard, but they never do well for some reason. So I put a bunch of bulbs in various containers to see if they'd come up. The Carnival Tulips are really stunning, looking like starlight mints from Xmas time.

Well, let's not talk about Xmas time when we've had such wonderful weather today. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? The weather "experts" have been calling for rain this weekend and today we had sun. It's anyones guess what tomorrow will bring until we open the curtains in the morning and look out.

Result!

2009-05-01T15:37:00.014+01:00

In my last post I said we were hoping for three out of three with our three artichoke plants. We've been really happy to see two of them sending up chokes. It's official now though. The third plant is sending up a choke, too! And the bonus, the first plant now also has two chokes coming up from the sides.

The first photo is the first chokes that came up. The first set of leaves below the globe have secondary chokes coming in now. Whoo hoo!!

The second picture is the second choke to procude.

And the third picture is, obviously, the third plant sending up a choke.

Result! Now we're back to suffering the anticipation until they're ready to harvest and EAT!

While I was out taking pictures I was also looking at the crabapple blossom. The buds are starting to open, but I'll hold off posting a photo until the tree is really impressive.

However, while I was looking at the flowers, I happened to notice some fluttering in the trees. There were about a dozen young goldfinches hoping from branch to branch.

They're SO cute. And the tiniest birds I've ever seen in the garden. When these birds are mature, their breast will be totally gold. At the moment, they just have a little gold patch, as you can see. And the red over the beak will eventually turn bright tomato read and completely encircle the beak.

The weather is not looking good for the next week. A storm is brewing in the North Atlantic and it's supposed to hit the hardest on Wednesday this next week. But we'll see how the weather really is. It's not like the weather service hasn't been wrong before.

Anticipation Pt 2, aka No Place Like Home

2009-04-25T22:46:00.006+01:00

Yesterday I talked about the wildflowers coming up around our property, but I love gardening too. We're still sorting out our landscaping so nothing is in the ground yet, so there are pots all around the house. Mostly roses, lavender, a couple fig trees, a few saplings (sycamore, beech, oak, maple), hibiscus, and the ones I'm most proud of...artichokes.

I come from a part of Northern California where 99% of America's globe artichokes are grown in a small rural town called Castroville. I was raised about 15 minutes south of Castroville, but the artichoke fields spread for miles and miles. Castroville is home to the famous Artichoke Festival. And a little known fact outside of the community is that Marilyn Monroe was crowned the festivals first Artichoke Queen in 1948, back when she was known as Norma Jeane Mortenson!

Castroville is also famed for having the world's largest artichoke. OK, so it's made from concrete, rebar and a little paint, but it's damn big! And it marks where the door is into the Giant Artichoke Restaurant where they sell the world's best deep fried artichoke hearts...and just about everything else made with artichokes. When I was living back home, it was not uncommon for me to drive to Castroville on my lunch hour to get some artichoke hearts then drive back to work. 15 minutes there, 15 minutes back and still have 30 minutes to spare!

I love artichokes. It's not uncommon for me to steam up as many will fit into a giant pot and live off them for a few days. I love, love, love 'em!

Needless to say, moving to Ireland was a huge shock to my culinary system. Artichokes, while a common find in French supermarkets, are virtually unheard of in Ireland. They're a rare find. I've found them occasionally at farmer's markets where the vendor imports their organic vegetables from France, but in the supermarkets? Not a hope. And again, needless to say, I buy as many as I can afford! At an average of €5 each, it's hard to justify paying €20 for four chokes. They're a treat though, and people pay up to €10 for a dessert in an average restaurant here. So... (mangia, mangia...as the Italians say...eat, eat!) You only live once, right? And it's only money!

Last year when my father and his lady friend of 20+ years visited us again, we took them to a great farmer's market in Bantry, Co Cork. It's the biggest farmer's market in Ireland that I've been to. They have stalls for just about everything. One day I'll blog about it, but on this particular visit, one of the stall owners had starter plants for globe artichokes! I bought three and immediately brought them home and babied the hell out of them until I could get them into some big pots. I was really worried that the winter was going to kill them off. It's much colder and icy and occasionally snowy here than in Castroville. But they survived! And now they want to spread out in the worst way. I know they need to go into the ground so I need to get my act together and get the ground prepared.

But lo and behold. One of the three little beauties sent up a bud. Really, artichokes are just prickly flowers, but it's hard to call them a flower when we eat them before they have a change to blossom. I don't care though. They're wonderful to eat. Steamed. With a little Gilroy garlic. And masses of home made mayo!

This one here has grown to the size of a small peach, but it's still very young.

And then...then...a second plant is sending up a bud! I'm so excited. And this newfound anticipation is about to kill me.

From what I understand, these first chokes, which grow up right from the top center, are the globes. These are the biggest on the plant. Once these are harvested, the plant continues to grow and sends out several smaller chokes from around the edges. I never realized before, but artichokes have two harvests...the globe and then the rest.

So now, as we watch and baby these two little wonders, we're keeping our eyes on the third plant and hoping for three out of three.

And they'll be all mine when they're harvested, as my husband doesn't care for them! ;-)

There may be no place like home, but it's quite possible to get a taste of home occasionally.

PS...Last weekend at a local garden center I found French artichoke starter plants and picked up three of those too. This variety sends up purple chokes. Not as big, but hey, they're PURPLE!

Anticipation

2009-04-24T19:51:00.014+01:00

This is the time of year when Ireland is waking from her winter slumber. She's stretching under cool foggy sheets and groping for warm spots in the folds.

Once barren trees are starting to leaf, wild fuchsia is bushing out, bramble vines are getting into everything, and the grass is growing out of control. It's also that time, given a bit more warmth and sun, just before everything explodes with blooms. The anticipation is palpable! Sure, we've had the usual early season daffodils and masses of dandelions. But the end of April generally heralds the coming of the flower boom known as May. Remember the old saying, April showers bring May flowers? How true!

I should back up to mention that our house sits on the property of an old farmstead dating back to the Great Famine. Most of the old stone buildings are gone now, but two walls remain from what was probably a buttery or the like. Beside this building are the foundation stones of what was probably a barn. Today they stones are tangled with ancient...OK very old...beech trees. And surrounding the immediate property is a stream. This would have been a really traditional farm. Thatched roofs and all.

As with any farm, the housewife would have maintained gardens. And one of those gardens included blackberries, black currents and crabapple trees.

When we first saw the new house, we were taken by the masses of blackberry vines all over the property (can we say gallons of home made preserves?), the massive black current bush we thought was a tree and the crabapples on the trees. And it's this time of year that they begin to bloom.

It seems like it's been ages in coming, but the lime colored leaves have come on really well, and the pink blossom buds make the trees look like they're strung with exotic pearls. Providing the wind behaves itself over the coming weeks, we should have hundreds of tiny green apples. We really must harvest them and try making crabapple jelly.

We've owned our property for almost eight years now. There are about seven and a half acres in all, but the house itself sits in the middle of about one acre, and the backyard is the better part of half an acre.

Over the years, it's been very interesting watching the seasons change. And noticing how no two seasons are the same. For example, last year our backyard was covered in clover. This year it first looked like it was going to be all about the danelions. Then I took a stroll around with the dogs and it's covered with about a million plantains. English Plantain to be specific, also called Ribwort Plantain and Plantago.

Apparently as far back as Neolithic times, land that could grow plantain was supposed to be an indication of fertile grazing land for cattle. And through the ages, both in Ireland and Great Britain, plantain has been used in the making of teas (tisanes) and herbal remedies to treat various ailments such as treating bowel disorders, lowering cholesterol and controlling diabetes. The plantago is one of the nine plants invoked in the Nine Herbs Charm that was recorded in the 10th century by pagan Anglo-Saxons. Knowing all this, I feel like I'm sitting in the middle of a bit of history! So much history for such a little plant.

Or if you grew up in Ireland, as my husband did, plaintains were used in the playing of a game known as soldiers. Once the flowers head had grown, kids would pull them and use them in a game where the stalks were hit against the opponant's stalks like swords. The first one to lop the head off his/her opponent's flower won. Beginning about this time of year in fields all over Ireland, kids had hours of endless entertainment. Well, as long as the plantains held out!

With so much property that changes every season I had to go out and buy a book on Irish wildflowers. It's the Collins Gem series for wild flowers around Britain and Ireland. It's pocketsize, which is ideal for wandering around the property. It's fun to identify what's growing on our property, and collecting samples to press at home.

We have a lot of trees on the property too. The house is surrounded mainly with native ash and some beech, but we also have traditional white blooming hawthorne and sycamore. Some of the trees are very old. But this will have to wait for another time.

Spring in Ireland

2009-04-20T12:41:00.004+01:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything here, but it's been a busy few months.

But spring is in the air in Ireland. Lambs and calves are common sightings in the fields, wildflowers are blooming all around, and the days are growing longer. And the weather has been a lot better, though it wouldn't be Ireland without a little rain now and again, and again, and again...

Our neighbor came over with his old tractor with a grass cutter on it to cut both the front and back, and since then the dandilions have taken off. They're everywhere! With the gorse blooming, too, the property is awash in yellow and green.

And the dogs are in heaven. They get to go outside more, and when it's nice and warm they get to paddle around in our stream.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm well-ready for summer to come around. And I hope it's a good one.

Where did my day go?

2008-08-15T11:49:00.005+01:00

My average day usually consists of bouncing back and forth between travel consulting and fiction writing. My days seem full enough with those two subjects. Really, I'm writing all day in one form or another, whether it be travel itineraries or my latest romance. I tend to wind down in the evening with a little knitting while watching CSI, Criminal Minds, Reaper or similar program. One would think I really didn't have time for anything else. Right? Well, how wrong we all are!

Then came...

Ravelry is a free service that came on stream about 18 months ago, and has been growing in popularity and membership like a runaway freight train. The site is still in beta test mode, but the last I heard they had more than 165,000 members from around the world! Me among them. They have a wait list for acceptance into the site. Where once there was a wait of several months, they're not joining members every couple days.

Once joined, the site offers a plethora of options for knitting/crochet enthusiasts. The site originally started as a place to keep track of knitting/crochet projects. They have a projects page where members can post photos and details of each project. Those listings are comprehensive and include needle/hook size, yarn used, where you bought your yarn, pattern used, who designed the pattern, who the item is for, when you started and finished the project...even a notes section so you can leave comments on the project, pattern, yarn, whatever. And you can include photos of your work, from your first cast on stitch to your last cast off stitch, blocking and assembly.

If that's not enough, the service includes a pattern library for free and paid patterns, a section that lists all known yarns and yarn companies, a members section and groups you can join. There's also a library where you can search for and list all the books in your library, a section where you can list all of the needles/hooks that you own, a stash section so you can keep track of what's in all those bags under the bed or boxes in the closet, a list of queued project and favorite projects from other members, you can contribute a pattern as a designer (indeed you can list yourself as a designer), a list of all of your the friends you've linked to (hopefully they've linked back to you), an on-site messaging service and untold numbers of groups you can join to share your thoughts with other likeminded people. And there are groups for just about everything you can imaging, from tv programs to dog owners to charity crafters...you name it, there's probably a group for it, though most groups are broken down by country/state/region, by yarn company, and even by magazine. Members can even post their own special avatar, known as Ravatars...anything from pictures of your pet doing silly things to your favorite yarn or project...or even your own visage.

And that's just the surface of it. Join groups and, even if you're just a lurker, you can spend your whole lunch hour reading through messages. If you post and have replies, well, there goes your lunch hour, and some of your work day. And if you want to add to your projects pages, there goes your afternoon...between taking pictures of your item(s) and getting them loaded to Flickr then setting up your project page for each project...etc.

I'm guilty of spenting long hours on Ravelry...of taking up valuable hours that should be spent on my clients or my fiction, or indeed just taking the dogs out. I've neglected the dishes in the sink, watering the potted plants and even doing laundry all so I can play on Ravelry. I have to constantly remind myself, especially when my DH comes home and looking for his dinner that Ravelry is NOT my job!

At least I'm not alone. I know there are more than 165,000 other members in the same boat with me.

Ravelry has a lot to answer for. They're like a drug supplier. Give the unsuspecting a taste, then make it free. They'll never get enough once they're hooked...and they're hooked from the first taste.

This addict is now heading back to Ravelry to post my most recent project. Of course I'll need to take the photos of where I am in the project first. Then I'll have to post a new page and start listing what it's taking to create this item. The dogs? Surely they can wait to go out for another hour. Can't they?

Move over MySpace, Shelfari's in town!

2007-07-21T12:01:00.000+01:00

Amazon seems to have their hands in many pies these days. They're latest adventure is a site called Shelfari. The company's own mission statements reads, "Shelfari introduces readers to our global community of book lovers and encourages them to share their literary inclinations and passions with peers, friends, and total strangers (for now). Shelfari was the first social media site focused on books, and will continue to innovate as it brings together the world's readers. Our mission is the enhance the experience of reading by connecting readers in meaningful conversations about the published word."

The site was launched in October 2006, but after poor user response, Amazon pumped money into the program and has now found a surge in popularity for authors to promote their work and to link into reviewers who have pages up, as well as publishers promoting their author's work. MySpace was originally a place for musical performers to meet, but soon saw an influx of users of every kind, including authors, publicists, publishers and book reviewers. Those people are now flocking to Shelfari because this is a literary dedicated service.

Not only are industry professionals using this as a marketing tool, but those valued readers are filling their "My Shelf" pages with books from their bookshelves from home. And why not? This site also offers a tracking facility whereby users can add private notes on who they've lended their precious books too...the borrowers name, date of lend and expected return date...just like at the library! And each book users link to shows how many other people are reading that book, including those from the user's list of friends. Click on the book to see who else is reading the book. By clicking onto their user pages users can request friendship links, join discussion groups and send notes...ideal ways to join into a public or private discussion of shared interests.

Of course, because this is an Amazon adventure, each book listed on Shelfari is linked to Amazon for purchase. Here's where they get really sneaky. Anyone familiar with Amazon's affiliate program knows that if you sign up and link your addiliate number to the book you want to buy you will get a commission on the sale of the book. Any online shop that links to books do this to earn money. Commissions are a great thing if the site linking to Amazon has a lot of buyers. However, Shelfari has linked their own commission generating account ID to the amazon links so Shelfari earns the commissions rather than the person who's listed the books on their Shelfari shelves or the buyer, who's undoubtedly a Shelfari user as well. Remember...Shelfari is part of Amazon! So basically, Amazon is earning themselves commissions at their own company!! Do I smell conflict of interest here??

Regardless, Shelfari seems to be blazing a trail across the internet, picking up users along the way at a pace similar to a snowball rolling down hill at a hundred miles an hour. Why it's taken so long for interest to pick up is unknown. Perhaps an added marketing campaign or just that Amazon has now aligned themselves with Shelfari? Who knows!? But whatever they're doing, it must be working...oops! Just got email and guess what? Two more invites to Shelfari! LOL

So have I succombed to this phenomenon? Of course. There's nothing like a good bandwagon! I signed up my reviewing website for now, but will add my author website eventually. Click on the reading lady image (Charles Edward Perugini's Girl Reading) to log in, or click SHELFARI to log into My Shelf. I had joined MySpace a good while back and immediately found it cumbersom and annoying, and full of YouTubes (not ideal for someone on dial-up). This week alone I have been hit no less than ten times by invitations to join Shelfari. After ignoring the first couple invites, assuming this was some form of spam, I logged in to see what all the fuss was about.

Compared to MySpace, Shelfari has a basic appealing color scheme, links are easily navigable and, sure, it's a great way to connect with friends and make new ones. Similar to Yahoo Groups, there are message boards dedicated to every genre and subgenre imaginable. There's even an added option to leave your friends notes on their pages, or to send notes privately via email.

Now that I've gotten used to how the program works, keeping in mind this site is still working in beta version, there is a large segment of authors being overlooked. Simply said, if a book is not listed on Amazon, it doesn't get on Shelfari. Many electronically published authors whose books are only on sale via their publisher's websites for electronic download will miss the boat on Shelfari. I'm sure they will rectify this eventually, but for now, those authors may want to push their publishers to start listing their e-only books on Amazon to get listed on Shelfari...and to generate more sales of course.

So what do you think? Have you visited Shelfari? If not, log into their site and check it out...SHELFARI . If you have, come by My Shelf and drop me a note. Better yet, send me a friendship request. One can never have too many friends =-)

~Kemberlee

Bunratty Renaissance Faire

2007-07-07T11:34:00.000+01:00

We attended the Bunratty medieval faire Saturday, 30 June. We didn't like the weather down here, but my contact in the park said "come on up" so we did. The day was actually very nice, even though the national weather service was calling for winter-like rains. We took the dogs with us and they loved it. We had a really good day in the park. I just wish I could say the medieval faire part of it was.

Basically, this is how it went. They opened a cattle pasture at the back of the park, roped part of it off for a medieval battle and had a few "ye olde tents" around the perimeter of the field, which included a livestock area with various hunting birds, a fox, hedgehogs, Irish hare, pigs and a couple Irish Wolfhounds. The rest of the space was for walking around...mostly spectators. Because of the numbers of spectators and the level battle ground, there wasn't really anywhere to see the battle unless you were at the front ropes. The performance lasted all of about 15 minutes.

The tents were all privately owned by the performers and doubled as changing rooms and sleeping tents at night. Some tents were also open for trade. There was someone there repairing armor and another chainmail, another selling jewelry, another selling wooden kiddie size swords and shields, another tent open for displaying authentic recreations of weapons and garments, etc. They weren't big selling areas...nothing much bigger than a standard card table, but the wares and trades were interesting.

And yes, there were wet cow patties all over the field. Ireland has gotten a lot of rain in the last couple weeks and Friday night there was one heck of a downpour in the Shannon region so everything was pretty soggy.

There were supposed to be tents set up at the castle itself, but there was nothing there. The only place the medieval stuff was happening was in the cattle field at the battle. The cattle field was so far back in the park it almost wasn't part of the park, and a long walk to get to for such a short program. I think we spent about an hour overall in that area, but performers were scattered all over the park sightseeing and eating...then the big battle, followed by loads of photo ops for parents to get their kids' pictured with the performers. Then we looked at some of the tents displaying their wares and looked at the animal area. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the park, looking in some of the cottages, having lunch in the tea room and fending off lonely tourists who wanted to grope the dogs. OK, so the dogs loved it =-)

Anyway, I wasn't expecting anything big and spectacular, but I was expecting more than what was there, to be honest. There weren't any jousts...no horses whatsoever actually. No royalty, no cooking demos, no crafts people demonstrating, none of the stuff one would usually expect at a faire. Really strange that Bunratty would advertise such an event then have the performers only stage a short mock battle...between the O'Brien and the Fitzgerald clans...and to have the Fitzgerald's win....incidentally, the O'Brien's once ruled the Shannon region and owned Bunratty Castle, so it seemed fairly insulting to me that the park would allow the Fitzgerald's to kick the butts of the O'Brien's on O'Brien soil.

And don't get me started on the amour and weaponry. It all may be recreations, but there were warriors from every era all fighting together. Some participants weren't even wearing all the gear from one era, but bits and pieces from all of the medieval years and just wore what they liked. There were guys in full face buckets to beanie caps. One guy wore a helmet so new it was as shiny as if it had just come out of a box...of Star Wars gear! Looked just like a chrome Darth Vadar helmet.

As for swords, one guy had a sword that was supposed to be a type of broad sword but the blade was wavy from hilt to tip. I've only seen daggers like that, but I'm not sure either are authentic recreations.

The group performing were all part of the Fingal Living History Society who were down from the Dublin area for the weekend. This group is similar to the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) who put on a really authentic event that includes demonstrations of many of the traditional crafts such as spinning and weaving, cooking demos, jewelry making and other "need to know to survive" crafts and chores. And yes, battles, often including jousts and more than just two sides battling. They're run like a medieval tournament event with everything that goes along with it.

Traditional Ren Faires allow spectators to join in the fun if they wish, including renting costumes and at least participating in gaming. But the one at Bunratty was purely spectator-only, which made the overall
experience very bland.

We did have a lovely day over all though. What we did see at the battle was pretty OK. Not brilliant, but entertaining. But unless they organizers put a little more backbone into the next event, we'll probably give it a miss.

Below are a few more pictures just for fun. Enjoy!!

Kemberlee

The truth about Border Collies

2006-11-03T23:08:00.000Z

Some things are just too funny to not share. Laughing Dog Press is a virtual kennel that pokes fun at some of the more offbeat things about owning purebred dogs. In this case, I refer to the "world's smartest breed" -- the Border Collie. Anyone who has Border Collies, or rather, any Border Collie who has owners (and there IS a difference), you will appreciate the humor of what I'm about to share. For copyright reasons I can't post the articles in their entirety, but I can share the link. Laughing Dog Press - Border Collies

Laughing Dog Press says "Many casual dog owners have mistaken this (Border Collies) for an ordinary dog and taken it home. They spend an average of six weeks in rehab getting over the experience."

Boy, can I appreciate that!!

"Church of the Divine Border Collie" suggests that owners of said breed do so because they believe in a supreme being, because a) (Border Collies) are the world's finest sheepdogs, that they have a stunning intelligence, and that even in a world of technology, they will never be replaced by a machine. Clearly this dog is seen as superhuman; and b) Border Collies have a trait called, "THE EYE"...a hypnotic stare that the BC turns on anything it wants to control. Imagine here a domineering mother in law, but this trait in the BC often turned on humans as much as livestock.

The CDBC also sites "Every time a BC stares, there is a single message embedded in the gaze... communication was clear (in the case of a non-working BC): BALL, BALL, BALL, BALL, BALL."

"Other religions have hair shirts and Hail Marys. The Church of the Divine Border Collie has "THE EYE"."

Uh-huh. Ayep! I hear ya on that one!!

c) "Border Collie owners operate by a different set of rituals than other dog owner. They dedicate their days to channeling their dog's energy...quit their jobs...(and) are forced to buy acreage."

Another scary truth. And more often than not, it's not becuase the homeowner wants a bigger house. Said owner will eventually be forced to invest in sheep just so the dog will having something to do besides obsess over the BALL and more property will be called for.

As a result of having sheep, we now get into the fact that sheep have to be sheered a couple times a year. What do to with all the fleeces? Learn to spin your own yarn, of course. With that comes learning to card and clean, dye and spin and weave. Then there's the other forced purchases of the hand carders or drum carder, dyes, spinning wheels, knitting needles and/or crochet hooks, pattern books, embellishments for the finished garments, and so on. The final forced cost is that of the therapist for all the friends and family who find themselves under mounds of hand made items they have no intention of wearing because they're too big, too small, one arm is longer than the other, the colors are a little loud or in the rare case, the item is just too beautiful that wearing it would be a crime.

There are pages and pages of funnies, that really aren't so funny if you live with a Border Collie, or worse, multiple Border Collies. You just have to log in for yourself and reconsider if a Border Collie is for you.

But hey! How can you pass up on faces like these??

I'm a 32!

2006-10-17T00:20:00.000+01:00

Everyone has a personality of a cartoon character.

Have you ever asked yourself what cartoon character do you most resemble?

A group of investigators got together and analyzed the personalities of well known and modern cartoon characters. The information that was gathered was made into this test.

Answer all the questions with what describes you best, add up all your points (which are next to the answer that you choose) at the end and look for your results.

Do not cheat by looking at the end of the test before you are done.

Then forward this to all your friends (including the person who sent it to you) and change the subject of this message to what character is you.

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts.)
d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)

2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (2 pts.)
b) Alternative (1 pt.)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
d) Country (5 pts.)
e) Pop (3 pts.)

3. What type of movies do you prefer?
a) Comedy (2 pts.)
b) Horror (1 pt.)
c) Musical (3 pts.)
d) Romance (4 pts.)
e) Documentary (5 pts.)

4. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could choose one of these?
a) Waiter (4 pts.)
b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
c) Teacher (3 pts.)
d) Police (2 pts.)
e) Cashier (1 pt)

5 . What do you do with your spare time?
a) Exercise (5 pts.)
b) Read (4 pts.)
c) Watch television (2 pts.)
d) Listen to music (1 pt.)
e) Sleep (3 pts.)

6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
a) Yellow (1 pt.)
b) White (5 pts.)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts.)
d) Dark Blue (2 pts.)
e) Red (4 pts.)

7. What do you prefer to eat?
a) Snow (3 pts.)
b) Pizza (2 pts.)
c) Sushi (1 pt.)
d) Pasta (4 pts.)
e) Salad (5 pts.)

8 What is your favorite holiday?
a) Halloween (1 pt.)
b) Christmas (3 pts.)
c) New Year (2 pts.)
d) Valentine's Day (4 pts.)
e) Thanksgiving (5 pts.)

9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain (5 pts)
c) Las Vegas (1 pt)
d) Hawaii (4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3 pts)

10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time with?
a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)
d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts.)

Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting for!

(10-16) You are Garfield:
You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how to have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may not see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you or others.

(17-23) You are Snoopy:
You are fun, you are very cool and popular. You always know what's in and you are never are out of style. You are good at knowing how to satisfy everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few days more than once but you always come home with the family values that you learned. Being married and having children are important to you, but only after you have had your share of fun times.

(24-28) You are Elmo:
You have lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing to give advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and you always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not to be too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts in your life.

(29-35) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants:
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your feelings. Life is a journey, it's funny and calm for the most part. Stay away from traitors and jealous people, and you will be stress free.

(36-43) You are Charlie Brown:
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very serious about all relationships. You are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally forget a few Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with reality.

(44-50) You are Dexter:
You are smart and definitely a thinker... Every situation is fronted with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a bad situation when it comes. Try to do less over thinking every once in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!

Guess which cartoon character I turned out to be! No surprise that when the DH took the test he turned out to be Elmo! Makes me want to tickle him ;-)

Yeah, yeah, I know. So little time on Earth and SO many stupid internet quizzes. I hope you had fun with this anyway.

~ Kemberlee

Four Things You Never Knew About Me

2006-09-03T23:10:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I've posted, and I do have a few things that will be coming soon, but until then, I thought this might be fun. The answers are in no particular order other than they came to me in that order.

Four jobs you've had in your life:

1. Island Technician (Pumping Gas)
2. Greenwear Cleaner
3. Travel Consultant
4. Writer

Four TV shows you love to watch:

1. Veronica Mars
2. CSI: Miami (the others are just OK)
3. Eastenders
4. any and all cooking shows

Four movies you could watch over and over again:

1. Last of the Dogmen
2. Last of the Mohicans
3. Excalibur
4. The Highlander

Four books you could read over and over again:

1. anything by Elizabeth Chadwick
2. anything by Denise Lynn
3. anything by Isabo Kelly
4. anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Four CDs you could listen to over and over again:

1. Luka Bloom
2. Christy Moore
3. Etta James
4. 80's classic rock

Four places you have lived:

1. Carmel, CA
2. San Jose, CA
3. Dublin, Ireland
4. Cork, Ireland

Four places you've been on vacation:

1. NYC and Washington DC (same trip)
2. Ireland
3. Scotland
4. Wales

Four places you'd like to go on vacation:

1. The Galicia in Northern Spain
2. Australia
3. Japan
4. Route 66

Four websites you visit daily:

1. eBay
2. Yahoo Groups
3. Online Banking
4. various blogs (mostly crochet related)

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Chicken Tikka Masala
2. Chocolate Cake
3. Tacos (basically any Mexican food)
4. Mom's Bread Pudding (and lots of it!!)

Four places you'd rather be right now:

1. Hay-on-Wye, Wales
2. Edinburgh, Scotland
3. Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland
4. home visiting family

Four bloggers you'll be tagging:

1. Denise
2. Kat
3. Eve
4. Adrienne

I hope you had fun with this. I did, though it's hard to just pick 4 of anything, isn't it?!

Kemberlee

Doing the Snoopy Dance!

2006-06-25T15:17:00.002+01:00

So, we went back to Killarney today to see the bikes again and check out the closing ceremony. Most of the attendees had already gone, but out of 15,000 bikes, there was still a couple thousand around to look at. There was definitely a subdued atmosphere, but the weather was great and everyone was having a great time. H.O.G. Village was open for last minute sales in the seller's area, people were still eating and drinking from the on-site pub tent and generally just milling about.

Why am I doing the Snoopy Dance? Well, if you read my post from yesterday, you'll see how disappointed I was not to have found a biker I dubbed The Preacher. Well, after wandering around for a couple hours this morning, we were just starting to walk to the exit when what did I spot? The Preacher's bike. When Peter turned around I was gonzo!

It's funny how first impressions are the ones you keep with you, even when continued evidence tries its hardest to refute your beliefs. Like how when I saw this particular bike with it's cross-shaped sissy bar pad and cathedral window styled decoration on the handlebars. The bike has a very Gothic feel to it...more so "Goth" in a more modern sense...ie: Goth as in a much "darker" meaning. The following pictures will show you what I mean.

The artwork on this bike was incredibly well done. The front fender has a night scene, as are all the scenes on the bike. This one is the full moon looking over a Gothic castle on a clifftop, the gate of which is in the foreground of the image. A lot of detail for a narrow "canvas."

The tank had several images on it. On the left side was a wolf and full moon overlooking a couple grave markers, one marked with the owners name, Kruger, and the other with a Bible chapter and verse. Yeah, I looked it up.

Revelations Chapter 6 Verse 8 -- "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."

See what I mean by a darker meaning?

The other side is a reclining lady vampire in a very sexy outfit. The grave marker beside her says Job Chapter 18 Verse 5 -- "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine." Looked up this one too. The internet is a wonderful thing!

The top of the tank was no less impressive. If anything, it was the most impressive of the collection of artwork on the bike. Here, he's painted Death on a chariot racing through a fiery inferno.

Other interesting details included the cross stitched into the saddle (seat), the custom handlebars with the cathedral window-style detail and the padded cross shaped sissy bar pad, as well as a smaller artwork detail on the back fender, skull tail light and a half skull air intake cover.

As you can see, this was a pretty unique bike. There were thousands of unique bikes, of course, but there's always one that really makes an impression...the kind of impression where when you see it you stop and go, "Wow!" and spend more than the usual time checking it out.

In case anyone is wondering, this bike got it's start in the world as a Heritage Softail.

I wish the owner of the bike would have stuck around for some pictures, but I did find a picture of him in the several dozen I'd taken at the start of the parade yesterday so you can see what he looks like. This morning he wandered off with his lady just as we stepped up to the bike. I think she was less tolerant of the attention his bike was getting. Her little yellow un-costomized Sportster is the one in the background. Nice bike, for sure, but nothing like the Preacher's. Yeah, I'll still call him the Preacher...even though I'm certain his name is Kruger, by the numerous notes on the artwork and on the license plate.

Yesterday I mentioned the Kawasaki that thinks it's an Indian. Here's a picture. The one I took yesterday didn't really do the bike justice. This is a lovely bike, but it ain't no Indian! And certainly no Harley.

There were some other very handsome bikes on show. One of them was actually parked at a seller's tent. It's really hard to describe this bike other than to say it's a Heritage Softail like the Preacher's bike, but is in structurally original condition. It's the artwork that makes this bike unique. You've heard the saying, "A picture tells a thousand words"? Well, here are a couple thousand words to mull over.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our weekend. It was fun. Who am I kidding? It was awesome!! Still thinking about trading the Mini in for a Harley!! If I do, I'll have to find that sign seller guy from H.O.G. Village to buy the sign that read, "I'm the person your mother warned you about." =-)

~ Kemberlee
PS...As always, click on the pictures to enlarge the view.
PPS...for those of you asking to see more Scotsmen...here you go!

I think my world just got better...

2006-06-24T20:24:00.000+01:00

...at least for the day. You see, I have a special place in my heart for a motorcycle. Not just any motorcycle, but a Harley Davidson motorcycle. And the Harley isn't just a motorcycle. It's a BIKE.

This is my rambling part, so bear with me...

Now, I wouldn't necessarily call myself a biker. Perhaps, more of a woman with biker tendencies. I've always loved the look for the Harley, the styling, the rumble when you're driving down the road...the Culture.

It's the Culture, and I capitalize it because it's like a religion to many enthusiasts, that seems to amaze me the most. Doesn't matter if you're a dyed in the wool, true-hearted biker to your core or just a weekend warrior; if you own a Harley you're an automatic member of a special culture that no one else is allowed into...no matter how Kawasaki, Honda and the others try to manufacture bikes that look, smell, sound and feel like a Harley! While a H.O.G. membership is ideal for all kinds of Harley perks, it's not required to be part of the Culture.

Certainly, there are those who don't own Harley's who are in the Culture. Your average Biker Betty, the Harley owner's better half, shall we say, doesn't own a Harley. BUT, she probably owns the butt that's in the saddle in front of her. And she's probably a Lady of Harley if she's on an associate membership. Even kids get Harley perks...and all the cool leather gear!

Harley, even for those who don't own a bike or are part of the Culture, can still change the average persons life. Just read God on a Harley by Joan Brady and you'll know what I mean. This was a small "spiritual fable" published back in the mid-90s that changed my life...well, was included in many things that changed my life at the time. This was a story of a mysterious biker HUNK who helped a woman see what the important things in life really were.

It's because of this Culture that no matter where you go in the world, if you meet up with a biker community, you're home. Plain and simple. All Harley owners and enthusiasts are family. Harley isn't just an iconic symbol. Harley is a way of life, no matter how often your butt is in the saddle.

So this all brings me to the subject at hand and why I love Harley's and why my world just got better, at least for today. Keep in mind, the Culture.

It was the 15th Annual H.O.G. European Rally this weekend and it was staged in the beautiful Southwest of Ireland -- Killarney, County Kerry. Some 15,000 bikes from all over the world were expected to attend. And we went! While the opening ceremony was Thursday evening and the closing will be tomorrow at noon, it was really a full two day event, today -- Saturday, being the Big Day.

H.O.G. Village opened at 8am, but as I've been to Harley rallies before, I just KNEW there wouldn't be many people about that early (not after the "night before"), so we headed in and arrived around 10:30am...30 minutes before the big bike parade through Killarney town. We didn't go into town. We would have been mad as Hatters to do that. We stayed in H.O.G. Village in probably the best spot possible...at the center of three driveways onto the main exit for the main road for town. We had bikes leaving the village in front of us, bikes coming out of the side car park to the right of us and more bikes coming out of the rear car park to the left of us. Parade staff let each exit point out in turn. Good thing or would be nursing whiplash by now! OK, more than we already are.

It took about 30 minutes to get all the bikes out. Once they were gone, we headed back into H.O.G. Village to see what was what...lots of sellers stalls, food vendors, an indoor stationary show of 2006 bikes, sponsor tents, etc etc.

Let me back up and say we took our two Border Collies with us, Daisie (l) and Poppy (r). It was because of them that a good number of people came up to us to pet the girlz and tell us they'd left their dogs behind at home, how they missed them, etc. The people just wanted to pet the girlz because they missed their own dogs so much. It was a great way to meet some of these people and hear their travel stories.

When I said being involved with Harley is family, it's really true. We met people from all over the world, most of who DROVE their bikes to Ireland. We met people from Lithuania, Poland, German, England, America, Canada, Australia, France, Spain...even one guy who came in with a few pals from....Saudi Arabia! The story of all the ferries he had to take and the cross country trek was just amazing.

No one sees nationalities, politics, religions, skin color or anything else that could otherwise fuel anger or hatred. All they see are Harley enthusiasts...the customizations, the models, the character each bike exuded, the travel stories getting to the rally, stories from previous rallies...all sharing in the single Culture that is Harley.

The man here is from England with his wife. We didn't get his name but he came up to us because of the girlz and we had a nice chat about his home, how long they took to reach Killarney, what they thought of Ireland...and of course his crazy helmet. Very Lordi, don't you think? He said he was looking for a Lordi mask so he must have also watched the Eurovision Song Contest this year!

Bikers may have a bad reputation, mostly thanks to Hollywood (which has a lot to answer for), but if anyone wants to see an almost perfect way of life one only has to look at the Harley Culture. Sure, crazy stuff goes on. It does in all clubs. But nothing like other clubs.

Example: We own an older model Austin Mini, now called a classic Mini. We joined the national Mini club in Ireland and for 5 years attended every monthly meeting, even when we moved an hour away from the meeting place. When the new Mini came out, all hell broke loose in the club. Suddenly you had the classic Mini people and the new Mini people, and no one talked to the other. The club broke down because of prejudice and politics. In Harley, if they come out with a new model, it's cheers all around and a welcoming in of any new members to the Culture because of the new model. If it's Harley, it's part of the Culture. Apparently not so with the Mini people. Pretty sad. Needless to say, while we still own the classic Mini, we're no longer part of THAT culture.

Anyway, this rally was very much like any other rally I've been to in California, just more cultural...for the lack of a better word...remember we met people from all over the world. In California, it was meeting people from all over the US, Canada and Mexico mainly.

One man from Lithuania is working in Ireland for a while, but he told us about getting his precious bike to Ireland. You have to understand that most of the eastern block countries have very little work, even if they are part of the bigger European Union now. Every penny goes to food, housing, clothing, education, etc. This man must have put in a serious amount of overtime to be able to afford the bike he was on. It hadn't been customized, but it was a lovely bike nonetheless, and he treated it like his baby (don't they all?!).

We met a couple from Italy. The wife didn't speak any English, but the husband did a little and told us how they'd left their three Afinpinchers at home. This couple had incredible cowboy-style boots! Another couple were from France. At one point I thought the wife was going to share a real French Kiss with Daisie, but they were very nice and missed their dogs, too...didn't they all. We were stopped all over the place by people wanting to pet the girlz. Crazy! One would have thought the show revolved around them and not Harley.

As unique as the people were, so were the bikes. The bikes were really an amazing reflection of the owner. I shot loads of digital video, which unfortunately is not loaded to this blog because we're on dial-up, and tons of photos. For the sake of download, I will attach some of the *cooler* bikes at the bottom of this bloggage, which included hundreds of Fatboys, some Heritages, Sportsters, trikes and various hard and softails...most of which were customized to some degree...some to a huge degree!

Lord help us, they snuck in a Kawasaki that looked like an old Indian and a Honda to die for, pictured right. (geez, did anyone hear me say that?!) Yes, that really is a Honda. Any doubt? Click on the image.

One of the coolest bikes was one I didn't get a good picture of -- he was as elusive as a raith! By the end of the day when we were looking for it, I started calling the owner The Preacher. The whole bike was custom, go figure, but handlebars looked like a frame from a Gothic window, sans the glass. The sissy bar in back was of a similar design. The backrest was built into the sissy bar frame in the shape of a Gothic cross and well padded in black leather. The tank art was of a spiritual nature and the air filter cover was a chrome skull. The owner was a tall man with a beanie style helmet that looked chromed and he had an overall appearance of someone preacher-ish. You had to see it.

There were bikes with side cars, bikes with little trailors, trikes (one of which carried four people, picture below), and people from all different walks of life. I'll never forget the sight of the Scotsmen in their kilts driving back from the parade, hems flapping to reveal just enough to leave a girl wondering what Scotsmen really wear under their kilts!

The most amazing thing I saw over the course of the day was a little fellow with his special hand made attire. I didn't catch his name, or that of his travel companion, but I did see they were collecting for the Battersea Dogs Home. By the time I got my hand out of my pocket to put a donation in their little bucket attached to the front of the bike, the line of bikes had sped off again...never did find them again, but this little pooch was the talk of the show...along with Daisie and Poppy I dare say.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. As you can see, we had a brilliant day today, and will probably be talking about it long into the coming weeks. Hell, I could keep talking abou it here!

Enjoy the photos.

~ Kemberlee
PS...Click on any of the images on this blog and the larger photo will come up.

Welcome to my new world!

2006-06-22T23:05:00.001+01:00

Every girl needs a place to ramble so I created this blog to do just that. A lot of what you'll read here will be non-author related and non-travel related, as far as my "day job" goes. There really isn't any semblance of continuity with what I'll post other than it's stuff I'm doing or thinking. Could be about my dogs, trips I'm taking, books I'm reading, yarn I'm drooling over, music I'm listening to, movies I've watched or anything else that I feel like posting about that someone else might find interesting.

For example --

My sister visited us here in Ireland in May. We drove up to Dublin City for a few days, which was great. We went to the National Gallery again and finally, after all the other times it never worked out, I was able to see one my most favorite paintings in the world...Meeting on the Turret Stairs by pre-Raphaelite-influenced artist Sir Frederick William Burton, a native County Clare man. The painting was inspired by the Danish ballad called Hellelil and Hildebrand, which is a love story between a Danish princess and one of her twelve personal guards.

I can't begin to say how amazing and beautiful this painting is. It's listed as a watercolor, but it's actually a type of watercolor called gouache. Basically, gouache is a water based paint that is very thick so it looks opaque rather than translucent like traditional watercolor. This particular piece comes over as oil based because the colors are still so vivid. The detail is incredible. It's difficult to really tell in most pictures I've found online, but the texture of the knight's tunic, the etching on the scabbard, the feather lining on the dress, the chainmail...it all has been intricately painted...every link, every stitch, every feather, every hair...so that it takes on a lifelike quality. The detail on the knight's tunic resembles that from the Book of Kells, which is housed in Trinity College. And the lighter blue band around the lady's dress is a wonderful Celtic weave, as is the etching on the scabbard.

One normally has to make an appointment to see this painting in the National Gallery, but we lucked out to be in the gallery early enough in the day that there were workers in the office where this painting is on display. It's a restoration/file/research/etc room in an upper floor of the original gallery building.

The National Gallery also houses the famous once-missing Carravagio painting called the Taking of Christ. This painting disappeard for years until it was finally rediscovered in a Jesuit house. It was donated for life to the museum. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the museum during our visit...my sister went to see it...as it was on tour of the Netherlands. I think that was the place. I'm not much into religious things, but this is a stunning painting.

It's said that Caravaggio painted himself into the painting as the man on the right holding the lantern!

I think one of the other most stunning paintings has to be the Marriage of Strongbow by Daniel Maclise. This has to be the largest painting ever created! The figures on this painting are almost lifesize and there are dozens of people painted all over it. The canvas takes up most of one wall in a grand ballroom in the gallery.

I emailed with a researcher at the gallery not long after returning home and one of the things I was told was that Maclise enlisted the assistance of friends who specialized in Irish history, architecture and such and used their research to create this stunning painting. I would have loved to have been in his studio when he was painting this one. Every person has a "soul", if that's the right way to say it. It's like each person was a real person. No two faces are the same or even remotely similar. Each costume is unique, and there is a lot of detail in some of the fabric, too. It's really quite incredible.

Anyone wanting to visit the National Gallery can do so 7 days a week. The gallery is open almost every day of the year and admission is free. And they have a great cafe and a store in the new Millennium Wing where you can buy prints of some of the most popular paintings, as well as books, notecards, blank books, and anything else to do with art and the works on display.

But beware! The National Gallery can take all day if you're really into art. And if you are, email me because I can point you to some other really interesting pieces. And be sure to spend time at the National Museum around the corner on Kildare Street where the oldest and best antiquities live. They have an awesome guided tour that goes about 30 minutes, but it's not required to take it. I just highly recommend it.

Lest this turn into a full-on travel report, I have to say that it was fabulous seeing my sister again. We haven't been home for what will be 6 years by this December, but thanks to the graciousness of my uncle and aunt who gave us some of their stockpile of airmiles, we'll be spending Xmas in Carmel this year. Yay! Can barely stand the wait, to be honest. But we always love seeing family when they visit here and love showing them around Ireland. Ireland is really a stunning country.

Well, I think that's it for my first ramblings post. Who knows what will be next? Stories about the continual antics of Daisie and Poppy? Tune in again to find out!!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kemberlee
PS...Click on any of the paintings above for a slightly larger version.