The two "C's"

Today I am grateful for coffee and chocolate....the two most important C's in the dictionary!!

I had a very, very quiet day at work today. And, believe me, I would rather have been busy!

And, as they say, "The Devil makes work for idle hands"! In my case, He helped me to make coffee and eat chocolate!!

Tomorrow I hope to be grateful for exercise and abstinence!!

Watch this space!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Mother's day

I'm lucky enough to experience Mother's Day from both sides.

So, today I am grateful to my darling Mum  for, well, being my darling Mum!!

I got to skype  Mam and have a good blether (you'd think I hadn't seen her for weeks!!!), not once, but twice this afternoon....didn't make up for sending her home yesterday, but better than not getting to see her at all!

I am also grateful to Thomas, Megan and Kieran for giving me a lovely day......flowers, chocs and dinner out! Spoilt rotten or wha!!!

I had coffee out with my beloved first-born too, although technically that was my belated birthday present from him! Beggars can't be choosers....coffee and cake is coffee and cake!!!

All in all I think I have a lot to be thankful for today.

So I am!

Gratefully yours.
xx

My raison d'etre

Well folks, you can now look forward to reading my blog every day again!! (As if!!)

Unfortunately my Mam has flown off into the sunset for the shores of my homeland once more, leaving me bereft and lonely....well, it means I'll have to go to Costa on my own again!!!

Thankfully she did make it onto home turf in one piece, although it was touch and go this morning whether she would make it to the plane at all! The thought of the menacing Security staff frisk-searching her again was almost more than she could take!! But thankfully the Irish security team have more respect for their elders....and betters!!

Now that Mam's left me, and I can't bend her ear any more when I come in from work, or drop the kids to school, I have to write my blog again, so that, at least, she knows what I'm up to!!

Today I am grateful for my Mammy (yes, I know it's not Mother's day till tomorrow!!!).

Love you Mam.

Gratefully yours.

xx

The Opera

Well, I think maybe it finally happened....

....I may just have grown up into a big girl!!!

I went to see the opera, La Boheme, with Mam, tonight. It was her birthday present from me....wasn't I good to share it with her??

Being Mam's favourite, and one she has sung arias from all my life, I felt as if  I would know it. And I read up on the story of it so that I'd be able to follow it. (The only other opera I remember seeing was Madame Butterfly, and I was totally lost!)

It was really good!! I nearly (very nearly) cried at the end, but I didn't want to disgrace myself!

What a lovely experience!!

Today I am grateful to, and want to thank, my mam, for instilling in us an appreciation for music.

Thanks to her singing and playing the piano through all my formative years, I now get immense pleasure from music, both singing and playing....and going to the opera!!

Who knew it was such fun being a grown up???

Gratefully yours.
xx

Baking Day

Now I have the secrets!!

I had a Master Class today in scone making. I know the secret of the blunt ended knife!!

It works for soda bread too!! Easy recipe and gorgeous soft bread at the end!!

So, tomorrow it's berry scones and plain scones (special request from my daughter!).

Going to have to freeze some, 'cos we'll never get through them all otherwise!!

Today I'm grateful that even at 50, I am still learning from the best....my Mammy!!!

I hope that I can be as useful to my daughter!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Two in one

After a week of no walking - unless you count walking round the shopping centre?? - today I've had two!

My first was with Mum and Meggie.

We went to feed the ducks, but they didn't seem to be hungry! Thankfully Meggie and I had brought our cameras though, so we spent our time snapping the daffies, magnolia and apple blossom!

Springtime blossoms.

My next walk, which followed, literally, right after the first, was with Thomas.

We headed out to another favourite spot of mine, Barrington's Pier, which sit out into the river Shannon. 

By this time it was around six o'clock, and the sun was just beginning it's final descent into bed-time - a great time for photography, as the light is something special!

Just as well my son is happy to indulge my hobby!!!

Evening skies.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good afternoon!!

Today I am grateful that I got to indulge myself, in more ways than one!

Happy days!

Gratefully yours.

xx

A day for the ducks

Something to remember....

....we are all different!

Just because we don't like the rain doesn't mean that nobody does!

And that goes for just about everything!

Just think how boring life would be if we all liked, and disliked, the same things!

So, when you're faced with something that makes you frown, just remember that it is making someone else smile, and let that make you feel better too!!

Today I'm grateful for differences.

I saw some duckies this morning who were really enjoying the rain, and they brought a smile to my face, even though it was pouring and I had been walking with my head down before I saw them!

Vive la difference!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

New life

Yes...Spring is here. Daffodils are out in force. Trees are starting to produce leaves. And I got cuddles today from a beautiful new life....my friend's 10 day old baby girl.

She came into the shop today with her proud mammy (who, by the way, is looking amazing for only having given birth 10 days ago!!). I had her out of her seat before any of the other girls even knew she was there!! Well....I had to get my cuddles!

Life is precious, and, seeing a new baby like that just reminded me how fast it moves. It seems like a life-time ago that my two were that size! I've almost forgotten how small and dependent they were. Yet another reminder to enjoy every second!!

Today I am grateful for the safe arrival of another life, and the awakening of another cycle.

Gratefully yours.
xx

After the ball was over....

Well, I think my birthday is now officially over!!

It did last a good couple of days, however, and a ball was had indeed!!

The fun kicked off with the arrival of Susan, Lawrie and Mum on Thursday.

Friday and Saturday were spent shopping, coffeeing and generally enjoying ourselves. Mam's birthday and mine seemed to merge seamlessly into each other, and I don't think any of us really knew what day it was at all!!

On Saturday I had a meal out with 19 of my closest friends (!!), and then we all trooped back here for a sing-song, which went very well indeed! I am so proud of Kieran for organising it!

Then Sunday was, in fact, my actual, real birthday!

More pressies and cards, but a sad farewell to Sus and Lawrie, who headed back to Scotland in the morning.

Monday then, today, is St Patrick's day, and, as I am an honorary Irish woman at this stage, we had a lovely meal here with Kieran's mam....and yet more birthday pressies!!

How lucky am I???

I am grateful to have reached 50 years old, and hope that I can continue to learn and grow, and enjoy living for another 50!!

Birthdays rock!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Family

Of all the things we take for granted, I think "family" is one of the biggest!

It's only when you don't have them close at hand that you realise what they mean to you.

After nearly 19 years in Ireland, people still ask me if I miss Scotland. And my answer is still the same.

"No....but I miss my family!"

Communication has come a long, long way, and Skype is a great way of keeping in touch. But nothing is the same as having my Mam, or my sisters here with me.

Today I am grateful to Aer Lingus for delivering not just my mammy, but my sister and her hubby to me.

Two days of coffee and shopping with Mam and Susan, and then a further two weeks of.....coffee and shopping with Mam!!!

And did I mention the cuddles???

Gratefully yours.
xx

The legs have it

Oor Meg spends a lot of time indoors.

There aren't really pals to play with round here, the way there are for Thomas, who, on the other hand, is never in!!

However......

.....the sun came out again today, and brought the kids out to play with it.

I think all the girls around here have been stuck in for months, so they all decided to make a go of it and play together.

And out they came, in shorts, boots and hoodies....the height of style!!!

I'm so grateful that they called for Megan, and she jumped at the chance to go out!

Now, if only I could find what I did with my shorts......

Gratefully yours.
xx

Sunshine

Well, they said we were going to get sunshine....and we did!!!!!!!

They also say we're going to get sunshine till a week on Wednesday....not so sure if I believe that, but I certainly hope they're right!!!!

There really is only so much rain you can put up with, and I think we've had more than our fair  share over the last few months. Give some to Australia, I say! They need it!

We even turned off the heaters this afternoon in the shop! Yes, really!!! It was glorious!

I had almost forgotten what it was like to see blue skies and feel, what's it called again???? Oh, yes....warmth!!!

Today I'm grateful for the sunshine!!! It lifts the spirits.

I shall be very positive and believe that we deserve a good week or so of this!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Full circle

I had my hair cut yesterday.

I may have told you before, but my hairdressers sit just off a big roundabout, right on a bridge crossing the Shannon.

It's such a relaxing feeling, to be able to sit quietly, being pampered, while watching life go on, at speed, just outside the window.

Yesterday was, however, a more intense experience than normal.

While I was sitting there, I saw, first of all as a reflection in the tall glass building just across the road, the rescue helicopter, hovering over the river. It went slowly down the river, flying very low.

That is, unfortunately, not an uncommon sight, although not one that I've seen so close up. It means that they were searching for some poor soul who either fell, or jumped into the river.

And life went on as normal.

No one in the salon seemed even to notice it. How sad.

Having just heard that my friend had safely delivered a baby girl in the wee, small hours of that morning, I really was left contemplating the circle of life.

Life is precious, and it is short. We really need to make the most of it!

Today I am grateful for today. I am grateful that today I am hale and hearty, as are those I love most in the world.

Might leave off getting my hair cut again for long time!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Concert night.

It's been a busy week.

Choir rehearsals on Monday night and Wednesday night, and the concert tonight!

It went really well!!

I just love it!!! Especially when we do well!!!

Feeling rather good in my black dress too! Very forgiving!

I shall go to bed with my head still spinning, even though I had a cup of Ovaltine, and a smile on my face.

Today I am grateful for my choir.....all of them!!! We make one heck of a sound up there!!

Hope the songs stop running around in my head though, or I'll never sleep!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Frozen chicken

Today I am grateful for frozen chicken!!

It's our "go-to" dinner, when I haven't the energy to cook!!

Chicken, chips and beans.

It has the added advantage that it is enjoyed by 100% of my family unit!!!

Why is it that even if you have an appointment at the doctors, you wait and hour and a half to be seen???

And, having been the first appointment in the afternoon, on more than one occasion in the past, and STILL not being seen on time, I really can't work that one out!!

I guess I should be grateful that none of us need to go to the doctor all that often!!

So, as I say....thank goodness for shove it in the oven frozen chicken!!!

Gratefully yours.
xx

Part-time

Today I was very grateful that I work part-time.

Yesterday was a full day in the shop, followed by a full evening, standing in a cold church, rehearsing with the choir.

By the time I got home my knees and feet were ready to walk out on me....and that's wearing support tights!!!

I was never so glad that I only work three and a half hours on a Tuesday morning!!

Choir rehearsal again tomorrow....thank goodness I'm off! I'll have to sit with my feet up all day in preparation!!! (Any excuse!!)

Gratefully yours.
xx

Cheese scones

What a nice day!!

Not weather wise, you understand, but a lovely day none the less.

We did get enough of a break in the rain to go to the swans with our cameras (Meggie has commandeered my old one, which is/was actually Thomas's camera!!)

Then we baked....fairy cakes with orange flavoured icing, and Mam's cheese scones!!! Yum!!!

And then, to top it off, Daddy took us out for pizza for our tea, so no cooking!

I'm grateful for lazy days, and taking opportunities where you find them.

Gratefully yours.
xx

Saturday

One of those days.

Work. Eat. Sleep.

So, today I am grateful that I have a job,  a man to cook me my dinner, and a comfy bed!!

Looking forward to Sunday!

Gratefully yours.
xx