When the storm came
We stayed calm
We stayed mindful
And we watched
We waited and created
Connecting and expressing
Brush in hand
Dipping and tipping
Gently gliding across the canvas
And as the painting came together
The lanscape fell apart
http://painting, http://poetry http://stormeunice http://mindful http://art
Valentines day – a day of appreciation, a day to show thanks, gratitude and to feel blessed. With it is with a sweetheart, a friend, a family member or even a stranger, remember, it is not just about chocolates and flowers….
Loves young dream, my man and me. We have been together now for 32 years. It has not, of course, been all plain sailing. There have been trials and tribulations. There has been love and hate. There have been many ups and downs in this roller coaster relationship, but, for better or for worse, we are still here, still in love and still enjoying each others company.
He can still make me laugh until I almost pee myself and he can incite such rage in me that I want to ‘knock his block off’. The course of true love never runs smooth though, isn’t that what they say.
We are trying to get out and about more, for two reasons. 1. my dear old husband is recovering from heart surgery and needs to try build up his strength. 2. Having moved to this new County, we need to explore it and see what it has to offer.
Yesterday we decided to go for a hike up the Arroo Trail in North Leitrim. It was a bit of a damp day, but we said, sure what else are we to do on a Sunday! We layered up, packed our back pack and off we went.
The scenery en route from Mohill, where we live to North of the County is just beautiful. We pass through little villages like Keshcarrigan, Lough Allen and a bigger town called Manorhamilton, to get to this Arroo Trail.
Having parked in the car park we started on our way on the trail along the road and then slowly up through the mountain trail. We had lots of sheep to entertain us en route and though it was spitting rain, we were warm and toasty in our waterproofs.
The views as we ascended were just spectacular, even if my camera couldn’t do them justice. We took our time, given that my other half is gradually trying to get back to full health and we didn’t want to put too much pressure on his poor old heart. It was quite a steep incline, but good under foot, with gravel and rocks.
Looking back down the trail we could see the coast, which must be Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. On a clear day it would look even more spectacular.
From the car park to the end of the trail is just over 4 km and you go back down the way you came up.
We chatted, ohh-ed and ahh-ed at the beauty, the elevation, and how, at times it was a bit difficult on our poor thighs, as they are not used to such a work out. We stopped and drank our water to replace salts, lost through our sweating and I even welcomed the rain to cool me down and took off my hat and gloves to feel it on my skin.
Getting down was alot quicker as it was all down hill and the view was truly beautiful.
‘We should come back on a clearer day’ I say to him, ‘but not on a hot day, or we will melt althogether’.
Spending time together, doing new things together like hiking, and discovering this new place we call ‘home’ has been and I hope will continue to be, a really lovely experience.
Being ‘just us’ again has given us a new lease of life, literally.
So it is not always about the chocolates and flowers, Valentines, it is about spending quality time together and appreciating what we have, like a new healthy heart and a new perspective and to feel grateful and blessed with the little things in life that matter.
Happy valentine Day !
Moving to a new place can be scary, disorientating and beautiful at the same time, but discovering it, is amazing….
It’s not always easy moving. Whether it is moving home, moving jobs or moving from one stage of life to another. Just because it’s not easy, doesn’t mean that it is not good for us, that it is not better for us. Most often it is better to move than to stay stuck. In staying stuck, nothing changes.
How many times do we say, I wish it were different. I wish this was better, he was better, she was better, my job was better etc etc etc. In order for things to change something must happen. We must DO something.
During my life I have moved many many times. From one area to another and from one country to another, more than once. Each time there was an element of pain, washed in with an element of excitement and wonder.
I have recently done it again. I have moved to a different County. For the last 25 years I lived in County Wexford, Ireland, affectionately known as the sunny south east.
I had lived there for 5 years as a teenager too. That was a struggle as I had been a ‘City Girl’, born to Irish parents in the UK. I loved Ireland. I loved to visit my grandparents in Ireland, more precisely. When I knew I was coming here to live at age 14 I was horrified. I was not a County Girl AT ALL, nor did I want to be.
Spending my teenage years here however, though strange, confusing, difficult and lonely at times also had it’s benefits.
In our village, there was one bus a day into town and out of town. It was the school bus and if you missed it, for me, there was no other way into school because my mother didn’t drive and my dad would have already left with the car to go to work. Bonus, if I didn’t fancy going to school any given day!
As I had to leave all my friends in the UK, my brothers and I were allowed to go to the big pub/lounge a few miles down the road. It was a family friendly place and everyone from all over would go to it. It was called the Un Yoke. It hosted many big Irish named bands, like the Wolfe Tones, Joe Dolan, Philomena Begley as well as local bands. We loved it there and, having made a couple of friends on the School bus, went every weekend. It was my salvation from the loneliness.
Fast forward I returned to the UK aged 19 and then bounced back again to Ireland like a y0 y0 25 years ago to my native Co Wexford. Here we built our own house, something we never could have done in the UK. Raised our children, welcomed our grand children and got busy with work and life as everyone does.
The work life balance wasn’t balanced though and then came ill health which if nothing else, puts life into perspective. So Last year I said ‘lets throw in the towel, let’s sell up and go again on a new adventure. There is just us left now, the kids have flown.
Our initial plan was to go to France for a few years and see how that went, but serious ill health put that on hold. So we looked around this beautiful island of Ireland to find the right house, in the right setting for our needs, now.
We ended up in County Leitrim, fondly known as ‘Lovely Leitrim’. When we would tell people we were going there, aghast they would say ‘Leitrim, what the hell is in Leitrim’…….
I was shocked at this reaction. Some would say, ‘the people in Leitrim would move to live in Wexford, not the other way round’.
I agree, Wexford is a beautiful county, full of history and historical sites and beautiful beaches and a lovely quay front to walk along. It is a bustling town with some fab place to eat and drink, but it doesn’t hold the trump card on all that and so I am going to be exploring this beautiful little County in the North West and document just what it has to offer.
It is referred to as Ireland’s Hidden Heartland and I agree, from what I have seen so far, it has truly beautiful scenery, lakes, mountains, trails and even boasts the SMALLEST coastline in a County in Ireland in the little village of Tullaghan https://leitrimtourism.com/towns-villages/tullaghan/
Image authors own at Tullaghan beach….smallest coastline in Ireland
Yesterday, my husband and I did our first looped walked around Tulllacken loop. We decided to do the moderate blue walk. We took our time and took it all the beauty along the way. The weather was on our side for the most part, with only a couple of small rain and now showers.
For someone recovering from heart bypass surgery (my other half), it was just what the doctor ordered. The trail was not too steep or too difficult. The views were beautiful across to the snow capped mountain and many many little streams and small waterfalls along the route were a welcome sight.
The rush of the yellow river running by our side was just beautiful to listen to along with the diversity of the tress, the rocks and splashes of colour along the way and also a bunch of curious sheep…..
I welcome our next trek or trail and will post more about the beauty of this beautiful little County.
When life feels a little complicated, pressured or tense, there is nothing like seeking out time and space, to find your path…….
Not all those who wander are lost,
didn’t you know, the price, the cost?
In walking straight along the line
or veering off from time to time
kneel down upon the steady ground
see whats there to be found
a little bud, a blade of grass
a glistening glow, as the river runs fast
a bird soaring through the sky
announcing to all, as you walk on by
A butterfly, a ladybird
flutter ahead without a word
Follow them all down their path
learn the lessons, see what they’re at
Dancing, singing, merrily
living each moment, so care free
burning passion, awaken desire
fan the flames, set alight the fire
stagnant waters, daily drudge
muddy viewpoints, toxic sludge
waste not time, on staying stuck
take a peek, go have a look
walk and wander, don’t be afraid
the choice is yours to be made
no ties no chains, just faith in now
this time, this moment, knowing somehow
that this path we take, whether short or long
it may feel right, it may feel wrong
but not all those that wander
are lost or found
they’re just where they should be,
now that’s profound
some tread lightly and some will pound
upon this earth so rich in beauty
nature speaks, it is our duty
to harness kindness, patience and love
seek to find of what’s enough
to fill or souls and guide our path
cherish simplicity of all that we have
separate the wheat from the chaff
learn to give, learn to laugh
at all the short comings
that we possess
and know that nature, our mother
knows best!
she gives us valleys, mountains and seas
sunshine, moonlight and a soft gentle breeze
forests so strong, air so clean
protection from bad, seen and unseen
a delicate flower, a thorny rose
the speed of the cheetah and the
sloth on a go slow
balanced she is in all that’s around
and those that respect her are not lost
but found
she takes away our anger and pain
give us comfort when we walk her terrain
negative thoughts seep on out
trust in her beauty, have no doubts
the answers lie within your steps
keep moving forward, have no regrets
or second guessing this or that
make mistakes, it doesn’t matter
get up again if you fall down
look to the heavens at the soft white clouds
see the bird, flying so high
sometimes too, he must cry
but keep on going he know he must
through the wind and rain, the fog and dust
picking berries, and twigs for his home
but before he settles, off he will roam
his simple life, abundant but free
wandering, not lost
but thoughtfully
the trick of the journey is simple but true
but it all has to start
with me and with you
being thankful and grateful
take courage and faith
the path it will open
just walk through the gate…..
When our childhood memories stay with us through our lives, it is often attached to music. A song can transport us to another time…..
And the Bat has rested…… May he Rest in Peace…
I first came to hear of Meatloaf when I was 13 years old and he touched my soul….. I found him, specifically the album Bat out of Hell, to be exciting, deep, crude and and also so romantic that it has to be my all time favourite album, from my all time favourite musician.
I have played this album a million times and continue to do so. I have blasted out his songs when driving, when hoovering, when celebrating and when on my knees in grief and pain.
My kids know his songs, they too love him and I am sure my grand children will come to love him too, through them.
He is a legend and I am so so sad at the news of his parting. If only Heaven could wait and leave him with us a while longer.
I had written a poem inspired by Bat out of Hell a couple of years ago which was published in a Magical Moments publication. The publication included poetry and stories inspired by music. Of course, my big inspiration had to be Meatloaf.
So, Rest in Peace to him. Condolences to his family and fans. He will be a big loss but he has left such a legacy for us all. He will be immortal.
Heroes are remembered, but legends never die
Babe Ruth
Magical Moments – Meatloaf – Bat out of Hell
Promised kisses….
Transport me back to another time
Dance in tune to the perfect rhyme
Youth club days in a purple haze
Beginning to blossom, still reserved,
taking risks and losing the nerve
of going too far, with promised kisses
spinning the bottle and classroom hisses
full of hope yet insecure
will it last, who knows for sure
paradise day and night
crossbar rides, taking flight
now dancing round my living room
hoovering up this adult gloom
beating out my heart is screaming
long lost kisses leave me reeling
warning sirens in my ears
take away my mundane fears
heaven can wait, but oh can I
like a bat out of hell, I want to fly
fly and soar and do it again
by the dashboard light, I will abstain
The Minutes…….
And as times slips by
And they don’t see me cry
They think all is well inside
But the thing is with loss
You pay a high cost
You just bury it deep down to hide
When they’re far removed
From the love that you knew
They don’t understand, they abide
So the tears now are silent
And hidden from view
But all the minutes of the days
Are still full of you.
when we long to sleep and dream a new reality….
The dreams, it seems are only hoaxes
That coaxes our imagination
and leads to damnation
cos the dream, it seems
Isn’t real
And you are still gone
like the words in the song
Nothing is quite as it seems
And you are a dream to me…..
New Years resolutions….. full of hope for a new and better year…..
January, a time of hope, promises and resolutions, whether we say it out loud or quietly to ourselves….. a new year is always a source of contemplation. Before the year ends, we make promises that ‘in the new year’ we will do this, or that, give up this or that, be more healthy, change jobs, give more time to loved ones, give more time to ourselves, take up a new hobby, leave something or someone behind.
We go into the Christmas period with a measure of excitement and a measure of dread, for many and varying different reasons, and some can’t wait for it to be over, so that the ‘new year’ can begin and we can begin, afresh, renewed, awakened.
We look back and reflect and ask, what is it I want to do, to be, to have, to start to end, to give up etc etc. Some years may be the same thing as the previous year and we began with gusto, enthusiasm and motivation, only to dwindle, falter and be left with a sense of failure and nothing more than procrastination in that, next year, it will be different…..
Still, we look forward and we try. Does it matter that we may not complete and accomplish it, whatever ‘it’ may be? Isn’t it the ‘giving it a go’ that matters. Even if that ‘giving it a go’ is to just put one foot in front of the other and make our way downstairs and face another day.
For some people the previous year could have been so challenging, so devastating, so traumatic, that to just do that, go downstairs and flick on the kettle is the biggest achievement that they can muster, and isn’t that great! They did it, they made it, they didn’t give up.
When we pass people by in the street, in the shops, in our places of work, looking ‘put together’ and getting on with life, we assume that all is good, all is well with them. Of course they are all putting their best side out. We are all putting our best side out and for some, it is a real struggle.
So this January, no matter what your path, lets all be enthusiastic, that we made it. We can reflect, we can look forward, but lets not forget to be present, and to acknowledge our own unique achievements, no matter how big or small……
Pain and suffering, especially in grief is sometimes so complex that no matter what you do, you cannot seem to get the balance and so you just have to wait it out……
Sometimes you just have nothing to say, at least not out loud. You have plenty to say, in your head and the incessant talking doesn’t stop. You may want to say it out loud, but you can’t, or you won’t for fear. Fear of letting go of the hurt and the pain and letting the emotions take you on a journey where you do not want to go. Fear of causing hurt and pain, to others because you just can’t articulate it properly without emotions getting in the way and muddling it all up.
Like the force of a tsunami thrusting, pushing and propelling at swift unstoppable speed, relentlessly, ruthlessly and causing so much destruction and damage, but it is impossible to stop it. The carnage it will cause, is unthinkable, and so, you keep it all in, hold it down, squeeze it, suppress and restrain it.
The pain will dull woefully , the hurt will scar deeply , the emotions will become emotionless and as the carnage unfolds within, so shall you carry the burden of being the source of their misery…..
A time of good cheer. The one day when all is good and well and the whole world is happy….. right?
Tick tok, tick, tok……….
it’s nearly that time when all should be fun
and children are laughing and no one is glum
where people are frantic and rushed off their feet
presents to buy, people to meet
buy all the groceries, prepare all the puds
get on that list, on the side of the ‘good’.
just stop for a minute and look all around
see whats in front of you, and who’s on the ground
the homeless, the needy, the battered and bruised
no christmas for them, do not be confused
the lost and the lonely, bereaved and bereft
those without faith or an ounce of hope left
so yes it’s that time to share some good will
offer a hand, don’t let time stand still
help the downtrodden, do a kind act
lets stick together, lets make a pact
share out your good fortune, offer it with grace
see dark sad eyes brighten and lift up their face
let the magic of christmas truly begin
open your hearts and let kindness in
teach to your children the magic they have
by accepting indifference to their fellow man
the beauty of giving with a simple pure heart
is a priceless reward and that’s just the start
so yes, it’s that time, to be humble and good
and remember to help all of those that we should
don’t beat yourself up or put yourself down
you only can do what your means can allow
the money, the toys, whether small or big
matters not one single jot, cos’ you’ve far more to give
the love in your heart, a kind simple word
a long tender hug lifts up the whole world
the gift of love, is the best you can give
and be thankful and grateful for as long as you live……….
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