Birthday wishes

Birthday wishes to two wonderful ladies I know; my sister Lindsay and my friend Judy.

Two more lovely, uplifting people you will not find.

As usual, I am late with cards and presents! It's becoming a very bad habit! But, while looking for inspiration, I happened upon an excellent idea for Christmas! No, I'm not going to say any more about it, other than how wonderful it is to be hit with an idea for one thing, while looking for an idea for another!!! I am definitely not one to let an opportunity, or a good idea, pass me by!

So today I must thank Linds and Judy for leading me to my next project!!!

Hope you both had a lovely day.

Gratefully yours.
xx

A spa-lendid day

Meg came up with this idea that we should have a spa day at home, before she went back to school.

Well....I'm very grateful that she did!

What a super morning we had!!

Cup of tea cuddled up together in bed.
Pancakes and fresh fruit for breakfast.
Mashed banana and honey face-packs.
Back and shoulder massages (she's actually quite a natural, despite having wee hands!).
Vibrating foot spa, while having coffee and chocolates!!!!!
A bit of dancing to all the supposedly relaxing "spa" music!
Bubble baths.
And a trip to the hairdresser for Meg, to finish!

Ta-dah!!

I am so grateful for the time spent with my angel before I lose her to school again.

And watch this space, 'cos it was definitely an experience worth repeating!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Apples

I received a lovely gift today, quite unexpectedly, for which I am very grateful.

Nancy gave me a bag of delicious cooking apples, fresh from her brother's neighbour's tree!!

I never think to buy cooking apples. I do, occasionally, cook with eating apples, but it's never the same, is it?

It was just lovely to have this unexpected windfall (literally!!!), and the resultant apple and raspberry crumble was even more lovely!

It just got me thinking about gifts in general. They don't have to cost the earth to be worth a pot of gold! The thought that goes before the gift is what is important. And it seems that the thought can cause more ripples than you think! I bet Nancy's brother's neighbour didn't realise, when he picked those apples, just how many lives he would touch by his thoughtfulness.

Worth thinking about!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

A new adventure

Well, that's day one in secondary school over for my first-born.

Of course, it was a breeze for him! Just one big new adventure. He just soaks up all the new experiences and expands to fit them!

I think that a sense of adventure is essential in life, but I am afraid that real life, responsibilities and experience may dent, damage, or even destroy it.

I guess the challenge is not to let that happen!

Push the boundaries. Leave your comfort zone (how I hate that so overused expression!!!). Start day-dreaming again! Stop worrying!!!!!

I am very grateful today that Thomas went into school with his sense of adventure intact.

Now I shall go and think of some more ways to resurrect mine!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Habit forming

Can someone please tell me why it is so easy to break a good habit and so hard to form a new one? Why it is so easy to do things that aren't good for us and so hard to do things that are good for us?

Is it to do with motivation? Or force of will? Or is it just me? Am I the only soul on the planet with this dilemma?

With some people the first of January is the time to make resolutions....the second of January generally being the day those resolutions fall by the way-side!

With me it's the start of the new school year.

After the excesses of the summer holidays, I look forward to restraint and routine. But why, oh why, are these lovely new habits that I wish to form in order to be a healthier human in a tidier home so hard to achieve?

I am grateful for free will, but wish sometimes that it worked with me instead of against me!

After all...I can resist everything except temptation!

Gratefully yours.
xx

C'mon Munster

Well...

I had a new experience today, and found a wonderful new source of photographic inspiration!

K took us all to a rugby match at Thomond Park. Of course, Thomas goes all the time with his dad to see the matches, and Megan had been once before, under protest! But it was a first for me!

I was ashamed to admit that I had never been in the stadium before. Could certainly not claim to be a Limerick woman, having not set foot on the hallowed ground!

So, I have to say that I had an absolute blast!! I could probably done without the rugby match, mind you! Although I did get a few good shots of various scrums and bums!!

But the stadium itself was amazing! I've obviously seen it from the outside before (well, you can't really miss it!), and it's pretty impressive, but it was a whole new world for me inside, and me and my wee camera loved it.

So today I am grateful to K for giving me a wonderful new experience.

And, may I just say....we won by a mile!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Survival of the fittest

Well, we survived the sleepover....but that's about all we did today!

Thomas and the boys, of course, were full of life, once they finally surfaced that is! And carried on the sleepover for most of the day!

Megan and I, on the other hand, slouched about, watching telly and generally staying out of the way.

It is nice to be able to just re-charge the batteries every now and again. I wish Thomas would give in to the tiredness and do the same now!!

I'm grateful today for the chance, and excuse, to just do nothing.

Sometimes it's just all that's needed.

Gratefully yours.
xx

The sleepover

Thomas has two pals (yes, two!) over for a sleepover!

You should see upstairs!

Thomas' room is now a den, complete with couch (he normally sleeps on the sofa bed, so tonight it's reverted to it's natural form!), two tvs, and x-box and various i-pads, laptops and phones! He has a side table, stocked with biscuits, crisps, chocolate and fizzy orange - just thought....I should maybe have provided sick-bags!!!

The spare room floor is one giant bed, with three mattresses side by side. I doubt if there will be much sleeping done there...at least not till the wee small hours!

But, I must say, I am grateful that they have been incredibly quiet for most of the night! Megan and Daddy are already asleep in bed, and I will be popping off in a few minutes.

It's their last Hurrah before they start secondary school in 3 days time! Bless!

Thomas tells me that the boys are in agreement that this is their best sleep-over ever! I hope they are still saying that in the morning....pancakes pre-ordered for breakfast!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Small world

How small the world has become.

To be able to sit in the comfort of your own home and not only speak to, but also to see friends and family anywhere in the world! It was science-fiction when I was a lass!!!

And what are we if we cannot communicate?

What with Skype and Facebook, I am in contact with family on three different continents! How amazing, and how wonderful is that?

I am grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life, and even more grateful that I am able to communicate with them with such ease.

Now, if only we could get the "transporter" up and running!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Normal Norman

Hard to think of one thing to be grateful today.

Today was just a normal day. Work, pick up kids, laundry, cook dinner.

I guess I am grateful that I have a job, someone to mind my kids while I work, a washing machine that works and all the ingredients I needed to cook up a lovely chicken curry for tea!

Wow....I'm luckier than I thought!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Are we there yet

The countdown is on to "back to school" time.

Thomas is all but ready, and is really looking forward to starting secondary. This time next week "day one" will be over! He may not be so happy to go again after that!!

I am on the top of the cliff, looking at a big fall. My first baby is growing up awful fast now and I'm not quite ready for it! I think I might just have to close my eyes and jump! He's already flying!

I am, however, grateful that some things have not gone by the wayside quite yet.

I went to the hairdressers today, and before I went, I had to assure said firstborn that I was only getting a trim! God forbid I might ever get it cut short!! What would he play with then?

So, I shall follow him off the cliff, and I shall endeavour to enjoy every moment of the journey!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Family fun

I got an unexpected Saturday off!!

Found out about it last Saturday, so phoned K straight away to book us all a weekend away....as you do!!!

We had already been planning a trip to Dublin on Sunday, as the boys are going to a big hurling match. Meg and I decided to go up to the zoo for the day rather than stay at home alone.

So, we arrived last night at the biggest hotel I've ever seen! It's like a rabbit warren of corridors, stairs and so many doors it's unbelievable. The room is a bit drab and dated and the food has left a bit for my delicate palate to desire! But, on the brighter side, the staff are friendly and helpful....and plentiful! Just as well 'cos the place is mobbed!

Anyway, we have had a fabulous 24 hours!

We started the day with some 4-in-a-bed hilarity, which followed us to the swimming pool (wow! Fab pool!!) where we spent an hour. Then we headed off to Tayto Park, just north of Dublin. (Google it!)
Apart from getting a drenching half way through the day (the sun more or less dried us out again afterwards!) we had an absolute ball! Loved it!

I have to be grateful today for my lovely family....and surprise Saturdays off!!!

Now....we're all going to the zoo tomorrow! Well, me and Meg anyway!!

Bring it on!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Photo magic

I've been looking through my photos, grouping together some of the ones I have taken on my morning walks and on my walks into work along by the river.

I had been looking at some of the entries for a local photography competition, and was quite downhearted at how good some of them were. They made me feel that my poor efforts were just that....poor efforts.

Then I decided, like I said, to look through my photos....and I was pleasantly surprised.

I'm not sure that I have any that are up to the high standards set for the competition, but they certainly give me a lot of pleasure, and what more can I ask? I've sat here for over an hour, looking through photos, cropping some, trying out different effects on others, and just really enjoying getting lost in them.

It's actually only recently dawned on me that photography is my hobby!!! And I am grateful for that!

Here's one of my favourites from this evenings meanderings.

Gratefully yours.
xx

Busy doing nothing

Nice day of pottering about the house.

I only left the house once, and that was just to pop up to the shop for some fine bread to go with our chilli con carne.

I was allowed, graciously, to be commis chef for Megan when she did her baking. I was also allowed, unsurprisingly, to do the clean-up, although I did take the opportunity to explain the merits of cleaning up as you go along. I'm not sure she was impressed!

Anyway, the day was quiet and lazy, and I am grateful for the chance to be busy doing nothing of any importance.

Gratefully yours.
xx

If that doesn't brighten up your cup of tea!!!!!

Finally

Today I am glad to have finally got the cat to come in!

I opened the door and called to her half an hour ago. It was quite dark in the garden, but I thought I saw something white just by the door of the shed. I had to go out to check, as I couldn't see it properly.

It was Gorgeous. Just lying there, watching the night insects flying about and totally ignoring me.

When I told her it was bed time, she just looked at me as if to say "Go on then, nobody's stopping you!". She then proceeded to chase down a moth, and eat it, before slinking off further up the garden, away from the door!

Ah, well! She's in now, and hopefully she won't feel the need for her usual bed-time mad half hour!! She also won't be looking for snackies after all the moths!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Girls allowed

Megan and I had a more or less boy-free day!

Thomas was whisked off to the sea-side with his pal's family this morning, not to return till Thursday, and Daddy was going straight from work to meet some guys, and didn't come home till nearly 9pm!

So, we window shopped, as you do, and coffeed, as you also do!!!

It was just nice. No pressure, no time constraints, just two pals browsing and chatting and having a good time.

There is no doubting that I love my boys, but it was lovely to be just us girls for almost a whole day.

I'm grateful for the time to spend with my wee best bud.

Thomas is getting to the stage where he wants as little to do with parents as is humanly possible, so while I wait the next few years for that phase to pass, I hope Meg and I can still enjoy time together.

Gratefully yours.
xx

Making it count

I've been coming to the conclusion over the last while that it really doesn't matter what you do, if you are not fully aware that you are doing it.

Well duh!! Mindfulness!!!

But as I sit here in the evenings, writing about what I am grateful for, and musing about my day, I often wonder where the day went, and if I really did make the most of it.

This being in the moment and fully engaging with whatever you are doing ain't as easy as it sounds, although it most definitely is all it's cracked up to be! It's just that everyday living tends to get in the way.

But, I am not going to give up on it, in fact I am going to try even harder to make it count.

I am not, and nor will I ever be, a master. But I will be a student, and I will practice being mindful as often as I remember to, and I will get better at it! I will not, however, beat myself up about not getting it right as often as I would like to and finding the day slipping away from me.

Today I am grateful for moments of clarity and moments of determined focus!

Gratefully yours.
xx

A lark or an owl?

I woke rather too early this morning and, as sleep seemed determined not to return, when the cat decided it was time to go out, I got up and went out with her!

Best decision I could have made!

What a wonderful start to the day, and the weekend.

I have decided, most definitely, that I am a lark. There is just nothing better than walking alone in the early morning. Even along the main road, along by the river, I only saw about 3 cars. It's so lovely to have that "out in the country" quiet in the city.

The view along the river was stunning, as it usually is first thing in the morning. And, best of all.....my heron was in the wetlands sanctuary. Standing quite the thing in the middle of the ducks. Made my day.

Yes, I have to say, today I am grateful for early morning wakefulness!

Who out there is a lark, and who is an owl? What do you love about being whichever one you are???

Gratefully yours.
xx

The Main Man!!

Alice

Well, there is only one thing I can be grateful for today....my sense of smell!!

I picked up my lovely new car today. Her name is Alice. She's a Citroen C3 and she smells divine!!!

My new baby!!

She's brand, spanking new....only 7km on the clock when I collected her today! I'm slowly figuring out how all her bits and pieces work...she has this bluetooth thingy which means I can make and receive phonecalls without even taking my phone out of my handbag! Go figure!!

She will, of course, take more to keep clean than Harry (my last car!) did. But, as Mam said....that's what I've got Thomas and Megan for! Good way for them to earn some extra pocket money, perhaps!!

Anyway, as I said....long may the "new car" smell last!!!

Gratefully yours.

xx

The river

I had a lovely walk to work this morning.

I didn't actually notice how beautiful the river looked until I took out my phone to take a few photos of the swans!

I think Limerick is looking lovely just now, and I wanted to share it with you.

The flowers and beautifully restored lights on the bridge

Man and Nature complementing each other!

I'm grateful today that I've finally sussed out how to get photos off my phone and on to the computer with relative ease!!!

Why don't you go out and look on a view that is familiar to you with "camera eyes"! You might be pleasantly surprised!!

Gratefully yours.

xx

On the tiles

Thomas is out at a sleepover with a pal.

Meggie is at Nannies for the night.

Freedom!

K and I are heading out to the cinema to see RED 2.

Bring it on!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Plenty room in the pan

Today I am grateful to my mother-in-law, Nancy, for looking after my kids and feeding me lunch two days a week through the summer holidays!

Nancy is the archetypal "Irish Mammy". She can not stand to see anyone thirsty or hungry, so, not only does she feed the kids on the days she has them, but she always has a lunch ready for me when I arrive from work to collect them....along with  a nice, and usually much needed, cup of tea.

I had to laugh today, because she had three other grandchildren and a son-in-law in the house when I arrived today. They had all had their lunch, but the smell of sausage, bacon and egg wafting round the living room was too much to bear, so one by one they appeared in the kitchen to peer longingly into the pan! Nancy just calmly opened another pack of sausages and kept on cooking till she had fed them all!

Long live the Irish Mammy!!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Lazy days and Mondays

Bank-holiday Mondays are both good and bad.

On the plus side...it's another day off! Good for K. He enjoyed a morning on the golf course. I did a wee bit of ironing (well, it has to be done!) and spent the rest of the day thinking it was Sunday! It's nice to draw out that weekend feeling for a bit longer.

On the not-so-plus side....I'll be all wrong with my days for the rest of the week!

Well, if that's all I have to complain about then there's nothing much coming over me, is there!!

I am grateful for the past 24 hours.....and I look forward to being able to enjoy the next 24 hours.

I hope you have a good day too.

Gratefully yours.
xx

Fota Wildlife Park

What a great, family day out we've had!

We saw cheetahs, giraffes, penguins and pelicans...to name but a few!

Meggie was in her element...and, I have to say, so was I! They have the sweetest red panda, who was quite happy to pose for photos between mouthfuls of dinner.

The animals are all so accessible...Meg might say "too accessible!" - she was chased by a goose, who then went for my leg instead (Meg was too fast on her feet!!!).

Thomas was particularly taken with the monkeys (pity he wasn't taken BY them!! - some might say, but not me!! No!)

Even the weather was on our side, only letting loose a downpour when we were safely in a wee shelter having our picnic.

It's lovely to get the chance for a lovely day out together, and I am grateful that we took it!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Okay...It's a long film....Epic???

I would have preferred one of those kids...but this'll have to do!

Yes, of course I love you....but you're still not getting a bite of my apple!!

Does my bum look big in this??

You know I'm gorgeous, I know I'm gorgeous....just take the photo!!

Back to work

I was in Adare working today, for the first time in about six weeks.

I got a lovely welcome back...even a few of the regular customers seemed pleased to see me!

I'm grateful for the confidence boost that gave me.

Again, it goes to show how just a small gesture can change the course of someone's day.

Always worth remembering.

Gratefully yours.
xx

Second opinion

Today I am grateful to my two assistant car checkers.

I'm looking for a new car at the moment, because Harry has just become to high maintenance!

Meg and Thomas have been dragged round with me for the last couple of days while I viewed my short-list of cars, and it's been lovely to get their perspective on things.

For example, Meggie has been basing her opinions on how comfy the back seats are, and how many pockets, cup holders and the like are available for the back seat passenger - namely her!

I have to admit to having had my mind made up before I went out looking, but it was nice to hear what the kids had to say about it, and, thankfully, they both agreed with my choice! Well, think about it....Thomas will be driving it in 4 years time!!!!!

I'm not going to tempt fate by saying any more, but watch this space.....

Gratefully yours.
xx

All change

The kids fancied a change round of some of their furniture. Swaps were agreed to and tidying promised.

OMG! My house looks like a bomb hit it! Just too much to do in one afternoon, so the house is 10 times more untidy now than it was before we started!!

Mind you, I did get Meggie to throw out a big black bin bag full of stuff that, up until now, she "needed"!! See, always a silver lining!!!

It's funny though...decluttering really does make you feel good! I think sometimes I worry too much about how to recycle stuff, so it was good today just to bin it! We did fill a box with books for the charity shop - well, they're not actually in a box, yet, but they will be!

By the end of the summer (oops! I guess officially summer is over!), okay...by the end of the summer holidays, we should have a much calmer, tidier house altogether!

Today I am grateful to be able to pass on the joys of decluttering to Meg and Thomas!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

PS This is Thursday's blog! For some reason it didn't post properly! Sorry about that!!. Today you can enjoy two for the price of one!!!