The Lough Cork

Last night I was looking through some archived photos and came across some wonderful videos of our trips to Ireland in 2004 and 2005.  This one I found very touching to me as you can see and hear the dusk sound of one the fascinating places near my home - The Lough:

I love the sounds of the birds, the music from the Nativity scene, the children's  screaming and the cars and motorbike from the near by road. Also the fact that I took the video at dusk  makes it all more so surreal. 

I have so many fond memories as a child visiting the Lough. It is only about 15 minutes walk away from Lynwood, my childhood home. We often went to  feed the birds, play at the swings and  walk around the Lough. As a teenager I sometimes went to The Lough just to sit to think and watch life go by. My Mum talks about spending days at the Lough with her brother and sister even though she is a "Norrie" :-) and lived at the other side of the City. They would travel across the River Lee to spend the day at The Lough. Nan, my grandmother, used to tell me stories when she was a child when it was so cold The Lough used to freeze over and she could skate on it.

Here is a photograph I found on the Cork City Council website of The Lough during one of the severe winters earlier in the 20th century and a wonderful poem:



Oh! fair is The Lake of Cork City
Where the wildlife all safely can rest,
And in winter though frozen its pretty,
When my kind boy glides over its breast,
And the regions around it are pleasant
Within sight of the free flowing Lee,
Just to stroll round its oval shaped mile,
And my Lough is forever with me.

On St.Stephen's Day 2004, there must have been a blue moon, as we were all being lazy after our Christmas day celebration the day before. It was about 2pm and I was still in my bathrobe lounging on the couch with a box of Cadbury's Rose not to far away and watching some old movie on the TV. Larry was dressed but I am not 100% if he actually had a shower yet. Gwen arrived in and was very chipper and wanted to know "Who wanted to go for a walk to The Lough?" I groaned  and closed my eyes which gave her my answer. All of a sudden by eyes opened wide again when I heard, my then boyfriend Larry, declare that he would go. I nearly fell of the couch as Larry is not know to walk anywhere, for a split second I was tempted to get dressed and go with them to witness it  but decided it was to cold outside!! Here are some pictures they took:

Epiphany - Little Women's Christmas - 12th Day of Christmas

So today of course is the Epiphany and we celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men but there is also this wonderful tradition it Cork Ireland that I would like to share.

In Cork today, Jan 6th, is also know as "Little Women's Christmas", because the women have worked so hard over the Christmas period cooking Christmas cakes and puddings since November, organizing the presents, cleaning the house from top to bottom, doing the Christmas dinner etc etc. The husband and men of the house always gave the women of the house an extra present on Jan 6th. Growing up in our house it was never a big gift, Dad would arrive home with chocolates for Mom and Nan and a book for me ( I was and still am a bookworm) but it was always very special.

Christmas 2003 was the first Christmas Larry and I were together, Len and Gwen were visiting San Francisco and Larry got gently introduced to the tradition ( I think Dad told him she will expect a present tomorrow or you will be a dead man!!) Larry has kept the tradition going every year since - I wonder what I will get today?

I was just on the phone home to Cork and my parents are having Sunday lunch at my brother, Brian's. Daddy is surrounded by all his Little Women but one ( Moi) He wished me "Happy Little Women's Christmas" my nieces Aoife ( 5) and Aislinn (2 1/2) shouted "A whole lot a women" out loud in the background. Oh how we laughed!

So to all Len's Little Women - Gwen, Leona, Niamh, Aoife, Aislinn and Eimear - The O'Flaherty girls - Hope you have a very special day today and yes, Aoife and Aislinn are right we are " A whole lot a women!!!"

Please don't let me live today again

1. Woke at 6am to hear the rain and wind outside but  by 7am I had no electricity ( and not internet access)
   
2. By 8:30 still no electricity so from my warm bed I called the office to see if there had power there - the office is only a block away
3. They had power so I decided to go to work
4. Even though it was 8:30 am it seemed like 6:00 am it was so so dark, I had to use a flashlight to find my clothes in the closet
5. I had a quick shower but couldn't wash my hair - no power to use my hairdryer 
6. Makeup was not possible to put on in the dark bathroom (Thanks to Junaid for tell me I looked beautiful today without it) 
7. I scaled my right thumb in the office kitchen as I made myself some green tea. I had a complete melt down about how annoying it was to only have on useful hand and that I was sick and tired of being so helpless. 
8. As I left Walgreens I nearly drove my new car into a downed tree. 
9. This is what I was greeted with when I got to Nob Hill - my usual entrance blocked with carts as they were pumping out water:

What a difference to my post on Jan 1st when we went for our New Years Day Walk and seeing the clear blue sky and sunshine!

With the above being said I also have a few moments of grace today. I was in Cost Plus World Market and out of the corner of my eye I saw this:

The text says :

I get up.

    I walk.

I fall

     down. 

      Meanwhile,

   I keep

           Dancing.

From that point on today I decided despite my silly arm I could still dance in my heart. I could be in pain but I didn't have to be a pain. Of course I had to buy it and will put it by my bed tonight to remind myself in the morning that my goal for tomorrow is to dance. 

Right now I am sitting on my couch in the warmth of my home, had a really nice healthy dinner and have a warm flannel Pj's on. Mom gave them to me a number of Christmas ago. The legs are pink flannel with blue and white love hearts the top is more of a thick fleece and on the front are two hugging  sheep with some pink love hearts and just below then it says "Loving Ewe!"  Perfect for a wet and stormy night.

 So now I am making myself one more cup of green tea ( yes Gwen no more diet coke)  and then heading to bed. Praying that there will be less damage tonight and for electricity tomorrow morning. My contingency plan is to go to the gym at work for my shower and they have  hairdryer so I can go to Steve party with clean hair!!

Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God

My friend Ginny book Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God is due to appear, hot off the presses, in late January/early February. I contributed some stories to her during her research for the book and wait in anticipation to see which if any of my stories were used and read all the other wonderful stories. Even if she don't use any of my stories I want to promote her book and get the word out about it.

Mary has always been an important part of my growing up in Ireland, from the Grotto's on the road sides, to having her feast days as holidays from school, to Pilgrimages to Knock, to lying next to my senile Nan who rosary beads never left her hands, to saying a Hail Mary at the beginning of each class at school ( I can say it in English, French and Irish) and having her name as my middle name!! I think she is an important Lady in my life and a Mother to us all.

Here is the original article that the book is based on:

Strong role model or impossible standard? Women share their thoughts on Mary - Part 1


Strong role model or impossible standard? Women share their thoughts on Mary - Part 2

Here is where I get a mention, in part 2:

"Leona, an engineering program manager, described how praying for Mary's protection is intimately connected to her relationship with her own mother. Back in her native Ireland , when she got her first car, her mother gave her a little statue of Mary to put inside it, and blessed the car with Lourdes holy water. Here in the U.S. , Leona recently bought herself a new car, and one of the first things she did was to repeat her mother's car blessing. "Even though my mom was millions of miles away at the time, her presence was there as I asked Mary, our Mother, to protect me in my new car."

I had not read this article for a long time and when I read it today it made me laugh out load when I remember this post of a few weeks ago when I got my new Prius. At the very end of the post you can see the statue of Our Lady and the little bottle of Lourdes water that we used to bless the car before the we  left the dealers lot. The tradition still lives on and will continue for every car that I will ever own. 

Pass the word along to anyone else you know who would be interested in this book and buy a book when it is available.

An old Women of the Roads

My good friend and internet cousin, Alice, recently posted this wonderful poem by Padraic Colum. The words have been haunting me since I read it. I learnt this poem when I was in school and still remember all the word, the imagery is one that I always found amazing now especially as it is very  Irish imagery. 

An Old Woman of the Roads

by Padraic Colum (1881-1972)

O, to have a little house!

To own the hearth and stool and all!

The heaped up sods upon the fire,

The pile of turf against the wall!

To have a clock with weights and chains

And pendulum swinging up and down!

A dresser filled with shining delph,

Speckled and white and blue and brown!

I could be busy all the day

Clearing and sweeping the hearth and floor,

And fixing on their shelf again

My white and blue and speckled store!

I could be quiet there at night

Beside the fire and by myself,

Sure of a bed and loath to leave

The ticking clock and the shining delph!

Och! but I'm weary of mist and dark

And roads where there's never a house nor bush,

And tired I am of bog and road,

And the crying wind and the lonesome hush!

And I am praying to God on high,

And I am praying Him night and day,

For a little house, a house of my own,

Out of the wind's and the rain's way

When I read it yesterday the first thing I thought of was this painting of my Mothers:

I can imagine the fire burning, the turf piled against the wall, the delph all clean and shiny and the old lady siting there warm and calm inside from the harsh elements of the wind, mist and rain. This was the first painting my Mum did for me and I think it is amazing. What a wonderful gift she has!

Poetry from the childhood seems to be a recurring theme recently with this post on the poetry of  Robert Frost "Stopping by woods on a snowy Evening" and listening to my wonderful friend Terry reciting it word for word at the end of Mass. 

Thanks Alice for the walk down memory lane!

The storm is coming..........

At work yesterday all the talk seemed to be about the storm that was 'a coming. I sat there wondering "What storm?"  I saw no news for the last few days so was surprised to hear about three big storms over the next weekend. My mind quickly thought oh now the stuff in the backyard will need to come in before it will be blown away. I sat in a  three hour meeting but once that was over  I drove the block home and did the rescue work  as best I could with one arm. 

I took the umbrella down from the table

Why was the hammock still up?? We usually put it in the garage in October!!

I could only lift them as far as the kitchen floor

Garden  utensils and cute garden ornaments taken off my pots - just in case!

Table clothes removed - Dearest Husband hiding the coals under the table cloth  after Christmas dinner is not the same as putting then back in the garage!!! :-)

My kitchen floor is a mess with stuff - I suppose it was one excuse not to have to empty the dishwasher tonight. If I was clever I would have emptied it before but I was in a hurry to get back to work to think like that!!!

I hope the upcoming storms doesn't too much havoc to our area and that we can survive it with out loss of lives and minimal property damage.

Ladies who do lunch

My good friend Kathy and I have had a number of lunch's recently and we joked that we are becoming the ladies who do lunch!! We have had Thai food a number of times, French food, sandwiches, I cooked one day and  also we went for Middle Eastern food. We are so lucky to live in the Silicon Valley as all food types are available. 

Here are some pictures of some of our lunches:



We went to a wonderful French place in Sentana Row in San Jose and had some awesome food. It so reminded me of the food I used to have when I lived in Neuchatel in Switzerland. You should see the pastries.........they are to die for. I brought Larry home a mini Lemon Meringue and a Creme Bruele and of course we shared them and I was in heaven!

Last Monday we went to Erik's Deli for some of their delicious sandwiches and Robin, Kathy's daughter joined the Ladies. Having Robin with us was so much fun,  she kept us entertained and she was very helpful with my one hand issue. Thanks Robin!

Gosh I was having a bad hair day but with one hand and a bad shoulder I have an excuse!!

The one great thing about the day was the Kathy and Robin came by my place afterwards and helped me to play with my new Santa pressie. I was not able to play with it due to my silly hand issue but Kathy is an expert and showed me lots of stuff that I will be able to do ones I am back to being a normal two handed person again.  Of course I took pictures:

I cannot wait to be able to start working on with my new machine. I have a  free class on Jan 12th to learn all about my new toy at the store I bought it. I hope I have better use of my wrist by then. 

Robin kept herself entertained by drawing pictures of Princess Tutu and playing Wii. Then she gave me my first lesson on Photo Shop Elements, she is a Mac Whiz Kid and she thought me so much in about 25 minutes. 

You need to come back soon for Lesson number two and I promise next time if my arm is better, I will play WII with you.  I need more practice so I can beat Larry. 

Kathy, when are we having our next lunch??

Robin, I need another Photoshop lesson and I have a project we could work on! Let see when we can get together.

New Years Eve Fun in San Francisco reviewed in pictures

New Years Eve was spent at our cousin Jean house in San Francisco. Thanks Jean for opening you home, your heart and making me feel an important part of the family!

Joey and Kevin getting their sugar level up a little after 11:00 pm to keep them awake to midnight:-)

Well that was their excuse anyhow!!  When I first saw Joey's bowl I though he was making it for us all, then I realized it was just for him. Oh to be in my twenties again and not have my DR words about sugar level rattling  around in my head.

I  did enjoy a slice of pizza, Jane's freshly made Carmel Popcorn and the Tangy Mike and Ikes!! 

Jane and Pat - still in love after how many years?? I think they were laughing at re-runs of Saturday night live.

Bob & Kevin enjoying the same TV show. Gosh I am in the photo also in the mirror. :-)

Joey relaxing with one of the dogies, letting the sugar work its wonders!!

Jean enjoying her ice cream - what a beautiful smile?

Other fun in the kitchen:

Annie and Leann




Mary is another Fogarty with a wonderful smile!

Annie and Leann enjoying there floats



Annie's christmas gift "God's Gift" as you can see from the picture shes loves it!I cannot wait until she is finished with it to borrow it.

Leann and I were having a discussion on why European chocolate had no peanut butter. I was wondering why  chocolate had to have peanut butter so Annie had fun waving the Skippy jar at me. I think they feel I had a deprived childhood as I didn't eat peanut butter!! lol

Elizabeth - I love her hair and her smile!

Three crazy girls getting ready to toast the New Year. 

Thanks to all for a wonderful evening, the more I spend time with you all, I totally realize that I fit in as I am as crazy as you all!! :-)

For the Shriver, Gibson, Fogarty, McCann and O'Flaherty  Families -  May 2008 be a year when all your dreams come true with health and happiness abounds! 

New Year Day walk was so refreshing

After some excitement this morning around 5am with a call to Ireland and Dad was being rushed to see the Doctor. I decided to drag Larry for a long refreshing walk. The good news is that Dad just needs to take some meds and  few days of rest and should be OK. I think he just came out in sympathy with me as I have pulled muscles and now so does he!! 

The walk was really refreshing, it was a typical California day - clear blue skies and sunshine but it was cold. I even wore a scarf!! Here are some photos  I took:

Larry decided that we could take a short cut home over this. I asked if he wanted me to crawl on it and he said "No walk" and I just wondered how I would do it one handed!! lol Nothing to balance with as my arm was zipped into my jacket.

Thanks Larry for going for a walk with me, even if we do have a different definition on how fast one should walk on a walk. Dad get better soon or I will have to come over there to take care of you!! You can decide yourself if that is a threat or a promise!!

Prayer for the New Year

May God give you... 

For every storm, a rainbow, 

For every tear, a smile, 

For every care, a promise, 

And a blessing in each trial. 

For every problem life sends, 

A faithful friend to share, 

For every sigh, a sweet song, 

And an answer for each prayer. 

Hope everyone has a great new year!