A Snowy Pardon

Just when we were getting geared up for school starting again tomorrow, the heavens opened and cast down a snowy reprieve.  There will be no school this week for most of the kids in Ireland.

The drive between home in Bray and school in Greystones would looked a little more beautiful than usual.   What you don't see is the traffic that is waiting for me at the roundabout after I get over Bray Head.  Let's enjoy what's before us now.

A quiet field.

The Little Sugarloaf dusted with a snowy sugar coating.

No post will be leaving here today.

The beautiful fields of the Lord and Lady Meath's Kilruddery Estate.  I don't remember the name of this field.  Does anyone know?

We have the rest of the week off to relax and enjoy the comforts of home and family.  Time for a little Converse skiing....

 

And I just dodged this snowy attack!

Now, I hope I don't have to work tomorrow, but I will manage to get in if I have too.

Blue Moon New Year's Eve

What a way to start a New Year!  I booked a family outing to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Gate Theatre in Dublin on New Year's eve.  We don't usually sojourn out on New Year's eve, preferring to stay home and relax most New Year's eves.  We made an exception this year as I wanted the kids to see this play.  We had a lovely stroll from the Southside of Dublin across the Ha'penny Bridge above.

We walked up O'Connell Street and waited for the eclipse to begin.

It was a partial eclipse and also a Blue Moon.  We seemed to be the only ones who were interested, which made it more interesting somehow, like it was our own little secret.  Mind you, it was only a tiny penumbral shadow.  Wikipedia states that the next total lunar eclipse will be 21st December 2010

Then we drove home through snow and arrived in time to toast in the New Year with our friends.

The kids are always so much fun at parties!  I think parties would be rather dull without them.  They entertained us with an impromtu crazy fashion show.

Let's get 2010 started.  I think I'll clean my fridge...

Out of Hibernation---Gingerbread House the First

Here I sit at the computer imaging all the lovely things I could create, if I would just get off the computer.  New slip covers for my old beat up sofa; wonderfully imaginative, yet healthy vegetarian food to tempt my family out of a carnivorous existence.

But for the last two months I've been in cyber hibernation playing computer games.  Has anyone else EVER been as bad as this at using the computer as an avoidance tool?  I do have a part-time job.  But I haven't been reading; haven't been sewing; haven't been exercising.  I have been doing the essentials, but not much more.  I don't think social welfare officers will be beating down my door.


What a waste of time.


To make up for my slothfulness, I decided that this was definitely going to be the Christmas that I made a Gingerbread House.  So I did.  What do you think?  Not bad for a first attempt.

Art Project for the Birds (or Monkeys)

This is my eldest daughter composing the following photos for her drawing art project.  How does she come up with these?  I love the idea of reading books in trees.

Samhain 2009

I know, it's the middle of November and I'm only now posting about our Halloween party. We had a great time but it wasn't without heart ache and pain.  I always experience a bit of madness on the day, no matter how hard I try to be prepared, I never am.  Why do I do it?  I always think that my parties will be more organised (a la Martha Stewart--my inspiration and my Moriarity).  They never will be.

I had too many expectations (as usual).  Invitations inspired by Martha (again) were mostly finished the week before, but only handed out the day before.  I spent most of the mid-term break week before the party sewing 2 costumes--one which I finished (cape and dress for the Soul Seeker), and one Masquerade Party Girl (which I nearly finished, but didn't, so said brave and gracious, but disappointed girl wore her Chinese pyjamas instead).

While I was trying to finish said costume (see picture below of nearly finished splendor), the family rallied around to frantically clean and do the setup.

After a few tears and a hug from a dear friend (Daren), another dear friend (Sally) making a cake and the lovely Halloween-y wreath and flowers for the party, and again another dear friend (Jeni) who helped me finish organising the last minute food preparations, a Halloween party was had.

Maybe next year I should try a different character idea instead of a jellyfish.

Roll on Christmas!

"Thistle Be Fun!" - Glen Nevis, Glenmore and Back to Inverness

More pictures of our trip to Scotland last summer. I thought I should finish this post before next summer. Enjoy!

Up 3D

I have been waiting to see this film for so long. I had been expecting that it would have been released during the summer, but it was only released in Ireland yesterday.

We went to the cinema after a quick stop at the shop to buy toffee popcorn and drinks (which we had a lot of fun smuggling into the cinema under my big new navy Gap cowl neck jumper. I hope I don't put the cinema out of business. Well, we did buy some chocolate covered raisins, candy necklaces, and popcorn and another 5 pairs of 3D glasses (we forgot to bring ours) anyway, so I don't think we did. I know, I know. Some of you can go to the flicks without any illicit goodies, but I must have too may years of subliminal advertising under my ever expanding belt to do without entirely.

I have to say that Pixar have outdone themselves again. Not only is the animation utterly fantastic, the story is so heartwarming and funny. I really wanted to know what would happen even though I would know that it would have a happy ending. I won't tell you the whole story line here, but if you want to know more, here's a link to imdb.com.

I would give this film 5 out of 5 stars.