A Different Pace of Life

23^rd August on board Celtic Horizon, nearing France.

time to chill

Just sitting here watching the clouds go by

We’re travelling at 30 kph … no hurry … the knitting is sorted, the pages are written, photos are taken and we’ve had a half hour in the sun out on deck … What a way to go … wouldn’t it be great to have a couple of hours like this every day!

Alderney in the distance

Passing Alderney in the Channel Islands … There was lighthouse flashing and then a boat appeared, heading directly for us … it was definitely someone signalling a coded message from the island to the ship and now the occupants of this boat are coming to find the culprit HAHAHAHA

coming to catch the spies

The other half is sitting with legs dangling over the edge … and of course I can’t see green cheese as they say but I have to have it too …

Can I play too?

I met the objects of the woman’s annoyance from last night – 4 8 or 10 year old monsters and a slightly older minder … running up and down the corridors slamming doors at 1 o’clock .   Feeling so proud of myself that I went and talked to them … astounded that they actually listened … the poor mother!  They were so cute … I’d love to have gotten a photo cos I’m sure one of them is going to be famous at some point.   They’re so innocent looking but they have trouble written all over them.  

A Frenchman!!  We must be nearly there ... 

I think this is going to be the mode of transport for the next few tours to Europe … a day to chill out is the answer to all woes. 

Day 23 of Effy's Blogalong Challenge 

Family connections - in laws

It's been a busy day getting things wrapped up for September classes - changing days for community choir, planning one to ones, enrolling in a Pilates class for myself, updating my website  and having a great acupuncture session with our local physiotherapist - busy day.   But tomorrow we're heading away to do a few gigs.

We'll be dropping in to see a cousin of Tom's that he hasn't seen since they were both very small and we've been going through family snaps to bring to her ... There's something about old family photos that makes me pause for a while and just breathe and let the mind wander off on its own trail.

Tom on the right with his younger brother - obviously the fish was special!

 In the middle of it we found this great picture of my mother in law and her sister when they were in their late teens.   They both loved clothes and worked in the linen mills edging handkerchiefs ...  They'd go to the pictures (the movies for my American friends here) to see what the stars were wearing and then come home and copy those dresses and have them ready to wear the following week at the dance.  Clever girls!

Time for school ....

Tom heading to the new school.

We reckon his Uncle on the left was a member of the Sopranos!!

This is Day 21 of Effy's Blogalong Challenge  ... I've missed a few, but mostly I've kept up - both with writing and with reading some of the other wonderful blogs in this group - it feels like I've gotten to know a whole new family.  

Belonging

Some days my longing to belong is stronger than others .... I'm always torn when leaving my home place to come back to where I now live ... and in a couple of days I'll be torn when leaving this home place ...  Such a strange feeling - it takes me a few days to feel like I belong in either spot and yet I don't  totally belong in either.

never struggling to belong

We visited a community garden on Sunday - these flowers and seed pods just looked so perfect together .... 

Here's the wonderful Dolly Parton singing her song Wildflowers - a song about belonging and where you choose to put your roots down.

Random thoughts on travelling and finding quiet time.

I'm really happy to be going away for a holiday next week but at the same time it's making me feel a loss at the realisation that the down time I've carved out during the past few weeks of the blog challenge will be much harder to come by.  It's been a wonderful blessing taking the time to come and chat each evening - at least that's how it's felt - a chat with a new tribe where I feel very comfortable.

I'm not at home this weekend either and it's challenging to find some quiet space and time to concentrate enough to find something to blog about.

It's hard enough at home but all my bits are to hand there.  This is how it's going to be for the next few weeks so this weekend is giving me a chance to make a list of what I'll need with me.

A new mid sized journal for starters (any excuse to buy a new journal is always good)
A connector for my camera to the laptop or iPad
Photocopies of the intro and first chapter of Women Who Run With the Wolves - you certainly need space and quiet to get into that.
Some pencils and crayons on the off chance that some doodling time might present itself.

But this is mainly making it clear to me how much we need our time alone and our time to be creative.  So one of my tasks when I'm away is to plan out some sort of timetable for the winter that allows for time alone and for time to play.

Here's a song for the road ...  Andy Irvine's tribute to Woody Guthrie .....Photos tomorrow ...


http://youtu.be/xRg6X1sHBt4

Day 16 - Sister Moon and a new toy ...

Oh the beautiful moon ... just spotted her rising this evening ...

Had to get outside for a look ...

And I found a new toy ....a tripod!!!   woohoo .... a lot steadier.

The water looks so inviting with the reflection on it...

and the clouds ....

how mysterious ....

I was seriously off centre this evening - no time all day to just be on my own and do something creative.   And the next few weeks we're going to be on the move mostly ...  panic.

Really enjoyed these few minutes to breathe and focus.   

I'm writing to Santa for a new camera lol

Day 16 of Effy's Blogalong Challenge

Remembering ...

15 years ago today, the Troubles in Northern Ireland came to an end .... at the hands of dissident bombers who blew up the centre of Omagh town - 29 or 30 people died ... I can't remember exactly what the number was, and I don't want to check ... I've been trying all day to not notice it!

But it marked a turning point ... we had had calm for 5 years running up to that ... and then out of nowhere, on a Holy Day holiday here , the centre of people's lives in a small market town were destroyed.
I remember being in Connemara with my cousins, visiting for a few days by the Atlantic Coast ... and I remember crying when I heard the news .... probably the only time I cried throughout all the years that had gone before.

But for the first time, people came out onto the streets to protest against the violence ... I stood in our local town a few days later with 1000s of people, willing it all to be over ... ..  the following year, the ceasefires were announced, and not long after that the Good Friday agreement was put in place .... It's not perfect by any means but it was a starting point.

I Still Think of You  

I wrote this song years ago on my father's anniversary, but it seems appropriate for tonight ... 

thinking of all of us and what has gone before.

There has been incredible healing done since that day; the two tribes living here at least now acknowledge each other.

Almost immediately after the ceasefires we started to talk to each other - friends and neighbours talking about our feelings and our experiences ... no-one had done that for the previous 30 years - there was an unspoken rule that you never talked politics or religion - we introduced ourselves mostly by first names because your surname would give away your religion.  Up until that point I hadn't noticed the fear in my stomach every night going to bed ... Tom and I are a mixed marriage - two different sides of the perceived divide ... and people had been shot for less.

Thankfully nobody belonging to us was harmed, blown up or locked away.   But all of us suffered a trauma that will probably not entirely leave us in our lifetime.  Now a new generation have grown up knowing no violence or threat or army on the streets - they'll be the future.    And if that leads eventually to a United Ireland it'll be brilliant, but it will be just as brilliant if we stay a separate entity.

* * * * * * * * * *

I had planned to write about something totally different tonight, but that is what came out, so I'm just going to go with it.  I've had a very productive day, lots of creativity, singing, knitting, cooking, I even drew a picture!!!  OK, I'll have to show you it!!

I am sooooo proud of myself!  Huge thanks to Alisa Burke - I've been taking her Summersketch class and have tried to copy her picture.   wow, next thing you know I'll have an art journal page to show!!!!

OK, I'm cheered up now ... Time for bed ... It's midnight here.
See you tomorrow.

This is day 15 of Effy's Blogalong Challenge

Tuesday Songs

You don't see many great songs about Tuesdays ... Ruby Tuesday is the first one I can think of .... but that's about a person .... Mondays inspire a lot of things - anger, excitement, anguish, doom and gloom, the start of a diet ... but Tuesdays are just in the middle.

So I went searching  ..... here's the songs I could find about Tuesday .... I started off having a real laugh .... the David Bowie one is ridiculous. (and this from a real Bowie fan!!!) ... but then I a few gems followed .... Cat Stevens, Stevie Wonder  and Counting Crows really stood out for me ... and of course Ruby Tuesday ... in fact I probably like Marianne Faithful's version of it better than the Stones, so I've added it in at the end ....

Enjoy!!

David Bowie - Love You Til Tuesday  ( this must have been a precursor for the Laughing Gnome!! )
The Pogues - Tuesday Morning
Rolling Stones - Ruby Tuesday (live) - I want Mick's jacket!
The Moody Blues - Tuesday Afternoon
Cat Stevens - Tuesday's Dead
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Tuesday's Gone
Stevie Wonder - Tuesday Heartbreak
Counting Crows - On a Tuesday in Amsterdam Long Ago
Count Basie - Tuesday at Ten
T Bone Walker - They Call it Stormy Monday (But Tuesday's Just as Bad)  ( had to sneak that in)
Michelle Branch - Tuesday Morning
Marianne Faithful - Ruby Tuesday  (with a gorgeous wee film featuring Catherine Deneuve)



I hope you're having a great Tuesday :)

Day 13 of Effy's Blogalong Challenge