St. Brigit's Day

Tomorrow is the first of February and in Ireland it is St. Brigit's Day.  I would have never taken notice of this day, or this saint, for that matter, if it weren't for the boys coming home with special St. Brigit's crosses made out of green reeds.  They would have perhaps a nun and the local priest visit their school and show them how to make the cross.  This, according to Irish people, will protect your house against fire if you put it up on the wall somewhere.  I have a couple scattered around just in case...

There are many interesting stories about St. Brigit on various websites.  The one that I like the most, which has probably been embellished by modern writers is where she pops out her own eyeball.  This disfigurement is to ensure that she can follow her vocation of the religious life, and not be given away in marriage to an unsuitable husband.  Rumor has it that after she formed the first religious community for women in Ireland, her group was recognized and blessed by an established priest, and it was then that a miracle took place and her eye healed.  What some women would do to avoid a bad marriage!!!

Also, I remember my friend Jo's story about the handkerchief.  It is an old Irish country tradition that if you leave out a piece of cloth or handkerchief on a bush or clothesline tonight if would be touched by St. Brigit and would have curative or restorative powers.  This is called St. Brigit's Mantle.  Maybe I will try it!  If I can get out to the clothesline in this freezing cold weather...

Happy New Year

Something new for the New Year!!! This is the "games room" for playing pool or table tennis, listening to music, sitting by the fire, and generally, chilling out.  It's only 2 minutes from the house and is a warm and peaceful sanctuary for anyone who wants a break. No computers no phones, no tv.  Of course it is relaxing until your competitive urge kicks in, and you have to be the table tennis champion no matter what!!!

I have to admit I am struggling with the concept of New Years resolutions this year.  All of a sudden I am quite happy with the status quo.  Why should I put myself under pressure to become the perfect person?  Who cares if I am not the world's best "domestic goddess", or have the best "career".  Should I use a new type of moisturizer or drink a few more glasses of water a day...

No, I'd rather think about other things...How about myself and perfect tennis partners winning a couple grade 4 matches? Or learning how to do a topspin serve? OK, I am interested in that...

Inaction

So, Christmas is rapidly approaching and I am thinking about our St. Stephen's Day feast.  I don't know who St. Stephen was or how that became a holiday here (one that is not celebrated in America), but I do know that we will be serving copious amounts of Indian food here at our house. There is something about the day after Christmas in Ireland which means that "if you didn't cook Christmas dinner, it's your turn to take in everybody today for a meal".

Today, there is so much to do.  I am just looking around my house at all the last minute jobs like wrapping a couple presents, finishing laundry, etc, etc, and it actually makes me less and less inclined to do any of them. In fact I find myself sitting at the table eating "Tesco's Finest" Nut Granola and sipping a lukewarm instant decaf coffee.  Yes, I have the Peets that arrived in the heavenly box from Santa Barbara, but I'm saving it!!!

Christmas Rush

Christmas is always a special season.  In the middle of July people look forward to Christmas.  In Ireland you think of white, frost covered fields, grass crunching under your feet, you see yourself looking through your own frosted window at the multicolored lights on your own Christmas tree. How is it then, that Christmas is always suddenly here? You find yourself with one week left to the day, having very little bought for your "significant other", no idea how you are going to entertain the hordes of guests you promised to have on St. Stephen's Day, and hoping you get everything wrapped and the cookies out for Santa.

It happens every year!

Passports

So, here we are, anxiously awaiting the receipt of our passports in order to travel to the USA for Thanksgiving.  I am already salivating like Pavlov's dogs waiting for the table to be covered with turkey, mashed potatoes, my Mother's gravy, and pumpkin pie with spray-on whipped cream (I apologize profusely to my gourmet relatives about that comment)!!!  I hadn't realized that we would need our American passports to travel until a significant brother-in-law mentioned it at the Sunday lunch table a couple of weeks ago.

I had an experience at the American Embassy, which in spite of all the trouble I felt we had about the passports, really put everything into perspective.  We were seated at the American citizens side, which was practically empty, while on the other side of the room, the area of visa seekers, asylum seekers, etc. got busier and busier.  So, when another person came into our side we were ready for a bit of conversation.  Coincidentally, and this happens all the time in Ireland, it happened to be somebody my husband knows, from the very town we live near.  Well, we had a great chat, and talked about our mutual plans to go to the USA, and then headed back home, thinking nothing of it.  We didn't get our passports, and we are still hoping we will get them in time to travel when we want to!  But, even though this was a bit upsetting and stressful, it was nothing compared to what my husband told me a mere 4 days after the Embassy visit.  Our friend we chatted to died suddenly.  He was young, fit, happy, seemingly unstressed.  I really felt shocked. The fact that you'd be chatting to someone like him, and I used to see him on the main street of town all the time, and then suddenly that's it, he's gone.

So that has shown me that I could be stressed out about a small detail, a glitch in my schedule, but that something like that is actually very trivial when I look at what happened to our friend...

Paris

Roughly a year ago this weekend I was in Paris. I recently saw the Woody Allen movie Midnight in Paris with my famous cinema going friend and I loved it.  There is something about Americans in Paris, and families going to Paris, working out kinks in their relationships and rediscovering themselves and each other... Paris is indeed another world, an escape from mundane reality.  When we were there, we started the trip just like the beginning of the film, in Giverny. Little would I imagine that our artist friend would remember those "mauvaises herbes" growing outside Monet's house...Every little street is different, every cathedral and church is lofty and silent (except for the one where we tried to stifle our "fou-rire" that we caught after lighting a candle...Just near Les Halles...

I hope we make it to Paris again in 2012.

October

It is October now and we are well into autumn.  This morning, walking out to the car it felt distinctly chilly, all the dead leaves scattered across the drive.  The Ted Hughes Poem "October Dawn" perfectly catches the slow shift into winter.

October brings a special tradition into our life as it is the autumn Station Mass which is held in the home of one of our neighbors.  It is an old country tradition where a mass is said in the chosen home and afterwards,  sandwiches and cakes are served.  I always fare poorly at the table in front of the neighbors as I do not (cannot) eat a piece of each and every delicious cake that is offered to me.  It is a special night, because in some parts this tradition is dying out.  It is great to keep contact with everyone who lives down our narrow rural road. Our priest remembers those who passed away from the area, and usually reminds us that some time sooner or maybe later, it will be us.

On a more upbeat note, Halloween is also coming. I pulled out my worn bag of children's drawings, half burnt skull candles, and plastic skeletons to decorate the house with! I want to dress up as a witch definitely, if only my two sons didn't find it horribly embarrassing.