A couple of New Year Cards from years gone by

As 2018 comes rapidly to a close it reminds us of all this things we have done, places we have been, people we have met, people we have lost. 2019 holds the promise of healing wounds, of families coming together, and learning from the good and the mistakes of the past year. All the best for the coming year to everyone. May 2019 bring you peace, hope, health and happiness xx

Yule tidings to you

Merry Christmas

Lights are strung from the eaves, the rope light deer are grazing in the garden, the rope light snowflake is flashing into the night. Love this time of year.

Into December and Christmas is coming!!!!

Why is it that there are those who make up for a lack of empathy with stupidity

I have heard a lot lately about Karma. My understanding of Karma is that it is an energy of the world that works on everything going in circles. What you do today comes back to you at another date later in time. And depending how you behaved the comeback will either be pleasant or three times worse. Of late however I have heard the word Karma being used by people who are seeking revenge. It's like Karma is some form of avenging angel who will dole out terrible payback on those who did you wrong. I often wonder how Karma deals with the situation where both opposing sides of the same  argument feel equally aggrieved and send the wings of Karma to avenge a wrong? On whose door will Karma knock? And how will Karma know who choose?
Don't get me wrong I am a great believer in the mystical Karma and the world of circles. I understand it meaning and the passive resistance it offers in place of conflict. It pains me to see this being used as a form of vengeance "to get your own back". 

First week back at college finished with. Got the timetable for the next three months with the all important holidays lol. So glad to be back. A busy year ahead though. Lots of new studies to explore and lots more to learn.

Visited Muckross Abbey in County Kerry today. It's a ruin but still accessible with spiral staircases taking you upstairs. Well worth a visit.

When do you draw a line under the past and embark on the road to forgiveness?
At what stage can the sins of the past be dismissed from the present?
When is there a time when trust will return after years of being lied to, not only the initial lie but the lies told to cover it?
Can you ever get beyond this/

Just been speaking to some fellow students about the task set over the summer for homework. It's amazing how we all interpret the same so differently.

I don't care what they say about Global warming, seasons out of kilter, it never changes the fact that come September 1st every year, the weather changes and there is a marked difference in the temperature.

POEM FOR AUTUMN
By
Lorraine Poulter ©2017

I open wide the window to let out the last breath of summer and allow to enter the first breath of Autumn.

To trade the long warm days for those of cool, damp evenings.

Farewell to days of idleness

And hello to days of expectation.

Days of fruitfulness, of ripening apples, of growing pumpkins, of plump blackberries bulging in the hedgerows.
To listen to the fall of leaves, to the winds of hope, to gentle whispering mists of rising days,
Of footprints in the rain.

To behold nights of starry mysteries, of catching memories as they flutter by on leaves,
Of bright moons in deep blue velvet skies that tell of promises of things to come.

The swirling winds that howl and gather up the fallen,
The churning of trees bowing to the Gods demanding their winter long sleep
thieving the boughs, until nought but bare.

The farmer puts up his hoe, he tills one more time, this death is not the end.
The seed not gathered is blown asunder and lies dormant until the spring.

A time of reflection, of remembrances, of thoughtfulness.
A moment of thoughts of future kind.
A time of merging shadows, of sliver beams, of softening rays of gold.

Autumn, you have arrived.

According to Buddha-not getting what you want means what you wanted was not right for you. We are given what we need not what we want.

Some people don't seek solutions when they tell you their problems. They seek the attention and time their problems take from you.

Oh well. The summer holidays are almost over. The holiday homework is finished, the bags are packed, new pencil cases, new paints. Good luck to everyone going back for the next year and those starting a whole new course.

Oh well. The summer holidays are almost over. The holiday homework is finished, the bags are packed, new pencil cases, new paints. Good luck to everyone going back for the next year and those staring a whole new course.

Sometimes you have merely to open your eyes to see what is in front of you.

It takes a certain kind of liar to watch their lies unfold in person. That's why they hide up and return later to "help".

I'd rather have a friend with four legs, fur, two eyes and barks than have a friend with two faces

When you are told you're being lied to, don't blame to person telling you. They know what you have yet to learn

When you choose the material over the person, you will end up alone with a load of material to talk to

Sometimes those who question our lifestyle and life choices have only their own interests at heart

It seems our ability spell has changed from the ability to recognised the order of letters in a word to the ability to press a button

We have had the hottest summer on record.
The sunniest days.
The driest months.
Hardly a breathe of air.
Then why? oh why? The minute we pack up the tent to go camping in Galway the wind howls, the rain falls in torrents, the temperatures plunge.

If you take for granted those who live for you before long they will live for someone else

It's not the number of friends you care to have but the number of friends who care for you

The greenhouse is full of ripening tomatoes
The shops are having their sales
Back to school equipment is everywhere
Temperatures are soaring
Must be August!

People lie to you not only in what thy say but also in what they don't say

My garden is buzzing with bees.

When someone tries to influence you against another, tries to keep you from talking to them, question why?

A real friend would not choose your friends for you.

Sending healing hugs to those caught up in the lies of others. Those who know and those who have yet to find out. xx

At long last the intense heat has gone.

The best of Irish ballads

Fields of Athenry

Paddy Reilly

But a lonely prison wall, 
I heard a young girl calling 
Michael they have taken you away,
For you stole trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn,
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay

Low lie, The Fields Of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing, 
Its so lonely round the Fields of Athenry

By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
'Nothing matters Mary, when you're free'
Against the famine and the crown, 
I rebelled, they brought me down 
Now its lonely round the Fields of Athenry

Not everyone seeking solutions to their problems actually wants to solve them.

Some people spend a lifetime searching for answers to their problems. Others has the answers and spend a life time ignoring them.

With some people you cannot do right for wrong.

I had to search the internet for these sporting news results:

Wimbledon Men's title winner 2018-Novak Djokovic
Winner of the world cup 2018-France
England finished 4th in 2018 World Cup

No one on fb reported any of these

Are we unable to show joy in another's success?

To make a difference to someone's life you don't need to be wealthy and shower them with gifts. All you need is to show you care

"There are two stranger in my house. Somebody and nobody. Somebody did it. Nobody knows who."

"Live your life to the rhythm of your soul. It's your dance to make life to live,"

Why does the English press have to post mortem every move of the England match against Croatia when we should be celebrating their achievements?

"If they don't show you they care. then they ain't your friends"

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you don't have enemies" Quincy TV Show

Prayers go out to the young boys, their coach, their rescuers and their families in the cave in Thailand as they make their treacherous journey to safety

I know nothing about football, the rules, the players but I must congratulate England on making the World Cup final in Samara.

Visited our favourite bay on West Cork yesterday evening. For months we had dreamed of living there and have been holding out for a property to come up for sale. We visited the place at a different time of day to normal. While it was deserted, beautiful, it struck us all how unfriendly the place was and that it lacked a community spirit as the homes were holiday homes. Decided this was not the place for us. It takes more than beauty to make a home. Good neighbours and community are another.

Finding your perfect place is not about searching for paradise. It's about finding a place that makes it possible for you to bear the tribulations of life without giving up in despair.

Some people brighten your day by just being there. Others do the same by leaving.

It's official. Those who rely on Irish water for their water supplies face a hosepipe ban from Friday until July 31st. Hard to comprehend that it has taken only 30 days without rain to come to this. Goes to show that not even  modern technology can prevent the force of Nature.

Temperatures soaring, gardens dying, vegetables turning to dust in the ground. It's taken only 4 weeks without water to reach this state. Imagine how those who endure months of heat every year and how they must cope.

Our world is made mostly of water and most of it is undrinkable.

Had the most unusual thing occur to me the other day. Had been wearing my favourite necklace and about 7.30pm I noticed I was missing it. I searched the house, the garden. Earlier  that day gone for a 3km walk with the dogs. But it was now raining. In fact it was lashing down. That night I had dream after brea that my necklace was on the road. Early the next morning I re traced my steps of the previous day. I walked 1km and no sign. A gloom settled over me as I thought it could be in the ditch, or a car could have crushed it to dust, or maybe someone had found it. I was almost giving up when I saw some twigs in the centre of the road and there in the middle of these twigs was my necklace.  Although it was wet and dirty it was undamaged. Thrilled to have found it. And thanks to the angels who in my dream told me not to give up.

Good luck today for all those awaiting their exam results

Solstice blessings to you all

It's only when someone lies to you or about you that you can appreciate how difficult it is to fully trust again

Have the old systems put in place to protect our world so easily become defunct? And if these systems are abandoned, what will replace them?

In the type of political climate in which live how can any country consider life in isolation from its allies?

The path to forgiveness is forged with the ashes of lies and broken promises. 

"Holding onto old angers hurts no one but yourself"

That moment when you realise that everything you once knew is no longer relevant

"The small cracks in the shields of the good of heart gives entry to the mists of evil"

Is alcohol the only pleasure awaiting us in adulthood other than sex?

"Do not judge mean the deeds of my ancestors. Just me on my deeds of today"

What would Sunday mornings be without W TV's showing repeats of David Tennant's Dr Who?

I just love the way the BBC sends reporters all the way to the Southern hemisphere to report on hurricanes etc and do not even mention the weather in Southern Ireland in their forecasts. France, Norway Europe get a mention but according to their weather maps the weather stops sharply at the land border of Northern and Southern Ireland.

Just read an alarming article on how much sugar in the UK children are consuming each year. It worked out at the equivalent of 20kg of sugar. These sugars are in pastries, soft drinks, yogurts, snacks and treats. I was watching Breakfast News this morning and the over riding influence of parents buying these foods is economic. It is hard to consider purchasing a punnet of strawberries, for example, which will be eaten in one sitting as  compared with the cost of a multi bag of crisps which will last longer. and are cheaper. Education of parents, families and children is not enough. The cost of eating healthy has to be made affordable and preferable to the cheaper option.

Had a visit from the Dog Warden today wanting to see if our dog licenses were up to date. It seems they had a report of dogs running on the road and they were rightfully investigating. Thankfully not mine. The thing I don't understand is what difference having a dog license is when it comes to preventing dogs running on the road?

How can RTE News help to engender national pride among the people when it gives priority to news from the US and UK over their own country's stories?

"Don't waste a lifetime honouring the dead while forgetting to respect the living"

Unlimited internet from 3, Virgin, broadband in the UK means just that. Unlimited. In the Republic of Ireland unlimited with 3 is a capped rate of 100gb. ??????

'A leopard will never change its spots. It stops hunting you because it is hunting something else"

Got up this morning wanting to paint, to draw to sew, to write, gardening, walking. Ended up doing none of them. lol

Sadly blocking someone on Facebook does not put an end to the problem, it just means you don't get to see what they are doing.

When someone lies to or about you they not only destroy your trust but the trust others had in you.

I cannot get over the utter stupidity of people. Eight hours of violent thunderstorms the other night and fb is alive with missing pet dogs left outside by heartbroken owners. Why in heavens name were these poor nervous beasties left outside on such a terrible night?

What a night! Eight hours of continuous thunder and lightning and torrential rain. At 2.00am the power went off.

Today is the day when everyone must follow their conscience. The day when Ireland votes of legal abortion up to 12 weeks. 

I have just been told that someone who has not spoken to me for over 18 months has been visiting my home regularly for coffee. What?

Some days life is like falling through the rabbit hole and finding Freddie Kruger is the White Rabbit.

Beautiful picture from "Path through the woods" fb page

Is it me or has the latest round of privacy scandals finally killed off Facebook?

The first year of art college comes to an end today when we receive provisional marks for part four course. A mixture of panic, fear, excitement. Looking forward to September and starting Year 2. A nice long summer break begins!!!!!

Spring has finally arrived.

Happy St Patrick's Day to you all

We hear a lot about Brexit where we live although the UK do not think we are part of the Uk because we live elsewhere. No one can go alone in this world held together by the fragile web that is the internet. Not even the UK and one of the things I have realised over the past few years of travel is that the rest of the world do not look kindly on the Brits. They all have their reasons I suppose. Mind you a country that is seeking independence from the rest of Europe is going to be in need of a few friends, the UK Government is not doing much to protect the right os Brits living abroad, especially if they are still living in a country that is part of the EU. 

Well we thankfully made it through the Beast From the East and Storm Emma. We had snow and lots of it. It lasted only a few days and then turned to slush and ice. The government imposed a voluntary curfew until the worst of the storms had passed. It still amazed me to see that a couple of days of snow and the entire country grinds to a halt. Our councils are never ready for winter, and come to that, neither are we all.

Well back at uni for a week. The work load for this semester had increased dramatically. Looks like the long break over Christmas has given us all a new vigour and determination. I love my studies. Something I never thought I would ever say having avoided this for most of my life. Now I am doing a degree in a subject  I never would have considered and enjoying it. My philosophy? Never give up. Never stop evolving and never let anyone put you down. 

I belong to a small writing group in Cork. We meet when we can. The thing is, we have some amazingly talented writers among our numbers. Our genres and age reach are varied but all are amateurs with great ambitions of wanting to write. Most of all we just love to write.

Creative Writing in Cork is holding a gathering of writers tonight 6-8pm. Please note the change of day. 

As one who originally hails from the UK I have listened eagerly to the ramblings and bickerings of Brexit for nearly two years now. One of the striking things that, from my own point of view, is that there is a lack of interest in preserving the interests of those of us who for one reason or another live in countries that are in the EU and outside the EU. Interesting that all the nationalities living in the UK for one reason or another are being catered for yet no one has seen fit to ensure those of us living abroad from the UK are OK. This is one of the reasons why the UK is so unpopular among the EU and other countries. The Government cares only for itself and looking to do the right thing but in reality is doing nothing. Rant over. Going to get a cup of coffee.

It is really ironic when you consider thee new phase of  some youngsters of eating washing powder pods, especially when as parents we are guided to keep them from toddlers reach, washing machine pod companies spend millions advising on safe storage to prevent such disasters. And the minute these brainless yobs can feed themselves they start eating them for fun. Where has it all gone wrong?

Can hardly believe that 4 years ago today we sold our house, packed up our things, the dogs and cats and all moved to Ireland. Where has the time gone!!!!!!!!

Is it me or have the mornings become darker in 2018 instead of lightening?

It was not the best of days weather wise to go to the beach. But this afternoon we decided to take the dogs to Inchydoney in Cork. We met several cars leaving as we arrived and no wonder. The tide was coming in. The wind was blowing, stirring up storms of sand and of course it was raining. Nothing was going to stop us. We wrapped up and eat down with the dogs onto the beach. We let them off and all seemed well with them. Then out of the blue a cluster of seagulls lifted up from the sea and took flight. Alfie thought this great and decided to go for the chase and was heading out to sea. We called him back but he ignored us too busy chasing he quarry. We ran towards him fighting the wind and sand. By the time we caught up with his he was drenched and very happy with himself. None us were happy with him having now wet feet. But we were relieved to be reunited and trudged back to the safety of the car, vowing to her return.

Nights are drawing out and the daffodils are still with us. The started to grow last November and were ready to bloom at Christmas. However the sudden cold snap has stunted them from fully blossoming. Spring is coming.

Our Adventures through Storm Ophelia and the Aftermath

It was a frightful night. Wind and rain howled round the garden and the whole area. This first sign of something wrong was when we looked out the window and saw that the tree across the road was a mere stump. It soon became obvious that the whole tree had come down and into our garden totally blocking the driveway and the road that runs past the house. However it was not long before the neighbours rallied and there were two tractors, 3 chain saws and 8 men working to clear the debris. I will never forget their help that day. We all worked through the wind and rain to clear the road so the milk lorry could pass and happily we did,

The biggest problem that day and continued for the next 8 days was the lack of electricity. The power went down quite quickly as Ophelia took hold. For 8 long days we had no lights, no power, no running water as the pump is electric. It was like being in the Dark Ages. We had a wood burner on which we boiled an old kettle for drinks and cooked our food.

The electricity problem was not to be solved as easily as the tree. The lines had been broken in 4 places and because the area was not as populated as the towns we were not early on the list to be repaired. It took 8 long days before power was returned.

What a day that was! No more boring the kettle for a wash in the mornings. No more using a cup of bottled water to brush our teeth.

The first thing I did was have a shower and a proper cup of coffee!!

Had a brilliant evening of Creative Writing in Cork on Monday. Great stories, lovely memories and good conversation. Looking forward to the 25th January when we meet again.

©️Lorraine Poulter 2017
 A photograph of the giant fuchsias from the hanging baskets last year. A reminder that Spring in not too far away.

Just a quick reminder that Creative Writing in Cork will be meeting tomorrow-Monday 15th January- at 6-8pm. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Poor Loki our cat has decided he is going to sulk over the return of  Newt, the hamster, from the vet. He's inconsolable. Every time he see Newt he's reaching for his knife and fork in anticipation of a tasty snack. As for the rest of us, Loki is ignoring us big time.

Rained for nearly 24 hours. Roads are flooded, the garden is a swamp, the rivers are over flowing. We are fortunate in that it'll be almost gone by tomorrow.

Busy day with the pets today. Dog is going to the dog groomer to have her fur trimmed and the hamster is having his post op check at the vets. Both appointments are opposite in direction from each other.

For the past few days my fb page has not been playing ball. It will only let me see four or five posts at a time. Then as if that wasn't enough it then posted a weird message welcoming me to fb and to start making friends!!!! The message seems to pop up temporarily every time I switch from timeline and home page.  Very weird. It has been suggested that the page has been  cloned. I can't imagine anyone wanting to clone me but hey ho! Changed the password and will wait and see what happens.

Had a really difficult and long day learning how to photoshop in detail. Mixture of boredom, exasperation and delight when at 3.50pm it finally began to make sense. I had to change computers twice. One didn't have the correct icons, the second one crashed and the third I kept. Cup of coffee and a bar of chocolate is one overdue!!!

Lots of colds and flu about at the moment. Keep warm and drink plenty. Off to defrost the car. It's like a Christmas tree bauble covered in glitter.

One look outside and there is a blue/grey glow off everywhere. Not snow but a real rip-snorter of a frost. More like November than January. 

An exciting New Year awaits members of the writing group with one member in the process of having their latest book edited with a view to publication. Wishing you every success.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and all the best for 2018

Next gathering of the Creative Writing in Cork will take place on 15th January 2018 6-8pm. Usual place