I write about this every year - the luminous weeks, the period from around the end of May to the end of July. My favourite time in the year. I'll try and shake it up a little so it won't get boring - promise! This year, we've had a beautiful late spring, with temperatures well …
Charming Margaret
I was this close to losing my faith in the people here in recent weeks. If anyone doesn't know about this: This Friday, Ireland voted on whether or not to remove an amendmend to our constitution which puts a blanket ban on abortions. No other country I know of has a blanket ban written into …
My Personal Manifesto (And A Quiz!)
Currently, I'm once again wondering whether blogging is still the right medium for me. Fewer and fewer people seem to read or engage in conversation, especially with my usually happy posts. I'm just not interested in holding a monologue! People are my lifeblood, one of my main passions actually, and talking to myself is not …
Birthday, Bows and Birds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8CEE8G6D3M Here's a rather dark video with lots of appropriately blurry pictures of the party last Saturday. I had a great time dancing and hugging people I love. Inga, Rachel and Maeve had even come up from Cork! It was my friend Andrew's birthday that day and mine yesterday, so we celebrated together and he …
You’re Invited
I don't have a lot of pictures that aren't of birds these days, so I thought I'd use one from our latest Gort Community Market day. It was soooo beautiful! Lovely people and great craic as usual. Since it's winter now, we've also added open fires and a little market extension in the cosy back …
Bliss
I accidentally joined the nicest gym in the world. Part of my benefits at my job is a gym re-imbursement. It explicitly excludes martial arts involving weapons, so I've always ignored it so far. But now, after almost a year and a half of forced inactivity due to injury, now that my muscles are once …
New Year’s Hag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdLuk2Agamk Every year when I wake up on the 1st of January, the first thing I do is to play U2's "New Year's Day" at top volume and dance to it. It's easy to see why I live alone. But seriously, the song's got such energy and promise. It's exactly the way I want to …
You’re Ageist
This year, I find myself quite unexpectedly in a festive mood. I think I've managed to truly detach myself from the materialistic aspects of "the season" and now I can appreciate all the magic and the true meaning of Advent, the expectation of the returning light. And oh how I crave light. Winter's darkness can …
Why I Fail As A Hippie
When I tell people that I'm into historical swordfighting and/or traditional archery, there are a number of typical reactions I've become very familiar with. It goes something like this: Me: I do historical swordfighting. Guy: Chicks with swords are hot. Me: Or if I'm talking to a woman, especially one of the enlightened/spiritual sort, then …
My Little Paradise
I've such news! After five months of searching in vain, I finally found a new place to rent. The downside first: It's further away from here than I like. Then again, I searched around Gort, South Co. Galway and the Northern half of Co. Clare all the way down to Ennis and to the coast …
