Grannymar

Eolai ag obair

Ireland as I could never paint it - 350 images from Eolai’s Painting Tour collection.

3000+ kms around Ireland, while painting, taking photos, blogging, twittering and updating his Facebook account, was no mean feat.  There were many pockets around the country that suffered from a major lack of internet signals.  This meant that uploading photos was sometimes random, therefore the photos are not in any particular order.

I suggest you do as Eolai/Liam does - boil the kettle and make a large pot of tea; then sit back and enjoy Ireland from your armchair.  The larger the screen the better.  You won’t be disappointed.

The hard work of cycling may be over and the body recovered, but some paintings need finishing and some are yet to be started.   Several paintings for hosts will not be completed – by agreement – until after Christmas.  I have told @eolai not to worry about my painting until I am sixty five. The subject of the painting…. I left it up to him, to pick his favourite from the places we saw over the days we spent together.

I look forward to the surprise.

Did you see the legs?  In the bath.  Yes in the bath!  That is not my bath, sure you know the colour of mine and have seen it before.

I went to Dublin last week and spent my time playing with Buffy, visiting friends, shopping, eating, drinking and giggling like a school girl!  (I’ll not mention all the toyboys I met… hugged…. and kissed!!!)

I spent most of Wednesday in Dublin City.  I sauntered and rambled about with the camera and found a few ‘toyboys’ sitting or lying about the town.  Each had a quiet spot where I could linger, mind you the chat was rather one sided….  You saw one of them in Sunday’s post and there will be more over the next couple of weeks.

I moved on to keep an appointment with Alice of My Wintersong and Pasu, her husband, who live in Utah.  They were in Ireland for a few days as part of a tour of Scotland and Ireland. I thoroughly enjoyed our time together, and it was great to meet in realtime!  As I always say, we (bloggers) get to know each other on-line from the inside, so meeting is the icing on the cake.

I did take my arm back and allowed him to go home with Alice!

Thursday I found time to visit @eolai/ Liam in his studio and return a blank canvas that I offered to take back to Dublin for him.  He was in fine fettle and back painting again after a couple of days rest.

Friday I went to Maynooth, shopping for a girlie night in, with some of Elly’s colleagues from Stateside.  We did have fun and the craic was mighty.

Saturday we headed for the City once more and a little retail therapy.  My sister joined us and we began with lunch in Brown’s Bar & Café by Carton House – at Brown Thomas department store.

As we headed for the escalator I was accosted greeted and hugged by Rowan Manahan It was wonderful to catch up even for a few minutes.  I do hope his dear wife forgave me for keeping him late.

After lunch it was a rib crushing hug from Darragh before we followed the crowd for the launch of Gorgeous to Go, The Beaut.ie Guide to Smart Shopping, by Aisling McDermott.

Some of the ‘Gals’ waiting to have copies of the book signed.

Photo of the book and goodie bag

With Elly and my sister, Photo by Kirstie

After all that excitement we went in search of ice cream, but not before I bought a pair of boots for the winter.  With all the talk of a harsh winter and forecast for snow, I need to be prepared.

On Saturday evening I moved to my sister’s and we had a short visit to see a friend who underwent surgery recently.

Big brother met us for breakfast on Sunday and then took me for a drive through the countryside of our childhood.  I was returned to my sister for lunch and we both went in search of a sculpture after lunch.

Yesterday, after lunch I headed back north and home.  The holiday is over and I am back to porridge my usual routine.

@eolai The Digital Nomad™, has completed his epic #paintingtour of 3000+ kms around Ireland, while painting, taking photos, blogging, twittering and updating his Facebook account.

It was at 8.30 pm last night that I twittered:

The Eagle has landed. To hell with the pills, I’m having a drink to celebrate @eolai finishing his #paintingtour. Congratulations my Friend!

Throughout the epic trip, The Thirsty Gargoyle (Eolai’s brother) has produced a write-up each week with photos and links  and a map of the journey.

You can also see paintings and photos here
Not alone was this a painting trip and a visual tour of Ireland in all weathers, it was a  community building experience.  Friendships were made between Liam/@eolai and his hosts, as well as amongst the followers on twitter, as we tweeted and re-tweeted what others had said.

For me, and indeed for many other followers, that special tweet each evening “I’m in and safe….!”, was a joy to read and the great sigh of relief must have been audible across the land.

The hard work of cycling may be over, but some paintings need finishing and some are yet to be started.  A dog left behind in Dublin for the past three months, needs attention and ‘yo-yos’ for the rent and other bills need to be earned.  Several paintings for hosts will not be completed – by agreement – until after Christmas.  I have told @eolai not to worry about my painting until I am sixty five.

I am sure there will be more chapters to this tale, stories to be retold of people and places, and at least one book of the  epic journey.

It was an honour to play a very small part in the #paintingtour.

It was a very ambitious project to cycle round Ireland visiting all thirty two counties in just two months.  Add in to the picture (pun intended) the fact that it was a painting tour, with coverage on several Blogs, Facebook and with updates on Twitter many times throughout the day.  The whole effort was to be funded by 10 commissioned paintings, and through social media connections, hosting Liam Daly/@eolai for a nights bed and board.  In return @eolai would paint a picture for each host, of a place or view of their choice and give it to them before leaving.

Looking down at the fast flowing waterfall at Gleno

Sounds easy doesn’t it?

GRADIENTS & ORDNANCE:  You forget that Ireland is not as flat as a bowling green.  There are things called hills and mountains that slow the legs down. Travel uphill is difficult for the leg muscles, while free wheeling downhill is dangerous so the hands need to be in full control of the brakes.  Walking on water was the Province of the bible, cycling on water - across lakes or inlets is not possible.  The cyclist needs to peddle around the edges.  It  all  takes  time!  Five miles in the morning when the body is fresh, is a very different story at the end of a long hard day.

VIEWING: Constant pauses or stops to look at the scenery and absorb the essence of it, before deciding to commit it to camera or straight to canvas.  If it is a ‘canvas now’ job then it takes time to unload the canvas, brushes and paints.  Painting in ’situ’ takes way longer than clicking a camera shutter.

TEA: The fuel for cars is petrol/gas, and they will not travel far without it.  Our Dear @eolai needs constant top-ups of his fuel - TEA - to keep his brain flowing with inspiration. You cannot drink tea while cycling.

PEOPLE: Passers-by, want to know what you are doing and why?  They ask silly questions like “Would it not be easier to drive?”  “Why did you come along this route?”  “Are the paintings for sale?”, “How much do you charge?” or “Where are you going next?”  Staying with hosts involves social networking and interactions.  A couple of hours at the dinner table and strong bonds of friendship are born.

WEATHER: Due to the tail end of Hurricane Katia, with 60 to 70 mph winds, made it impossible to stay in control of a bike or a body several inches off the ground, a couple of days were lost. Heavy rain, wiped out the scenery and made the roads a little more dangerous with water running off some fields bringing mud onto the road.  It became impossible to use the camera or apply paint to canvas.

HEALTH: Cramp is a disaster to a cyclist. The leg can ache for hours if not days.  A tummy bug can catch any one of us in a moment, literally wiping us out for days on end.

CARE & REPAIR: Punctures can happen when least expected.  One on the first day out was not a good omen.  By the time our Digital Nomad™ reached Mayo the puncture count reached four.

TIME & COMMITMENTS: Being flexible about dates can be a bonus giving an extra day in a particular spot, but it can also impinge on availability of a host further down the line.  Commitments at home tend to build up and an end date looms ever larger.

All too soon it was time for farewells as this amazing man headed off to the next host and to his 25th county of the thirty two.  I so look forward to hearing about a book or three in the weeks and months to come following this trip.

Safe home my friend.

Now ten months old, Miss Buffy has grown

Please take me for a walk.

We didn’t catch the bus

We didn’t catch the train

We walked to the end of the road and when we got home…

I had fun.

Last time I was down in Dublin, Anders promised to take me for a spin on the bike.  He called unexpectedly on Saturday, and when he discovered I was in residence, he was all set to go home and collect his second helmet for me.  I stopped him and suggested we see if I could manage to climb on the back of the bike first.  As you can see I did.  George took the photos for me.  Thankfully he didn’t try to take photos as I dismounted!

Climbing down from the bike was hilarious!  The more I tried the more we laughed.  It reminded me of sitting on my tail-end in the snow of the Austrian Alps many years ago, unable to get up.  I bribed the guys not to tell you that George had to lift me off the bike!  I know they are as good as their words. 

The engine in that bike is the same size as the one in my car!

I read and subscribe to a wide variety of blogs.  Some pop up as regularly as breakfast, while others are more like seasonal treats.

Padmini is the sister of Ramana, a regular commenter here, and she has recently joined our Loose Bloggers Consortium.  This and That, There and Here was added to Padmini’s portfolio in March of this year.  I wonder if she realises what that blog does to me?  The blog-face is simple clean, and straightforward to navigate and comment on, with Twenty Ten the chosen Theme.

I eagerly open up to read the latest entry….. yet each time I am stopped in my tracks.  Ramana might call it Synchronicity.

The header picture catches my eye and I am frozen on the spot.  It is a Déjà vu moment.  “I know this place!  I know that man! And I know why that golden retriever likes to go walking with him every day.” are the thoughts running wildly round my brain.

I need to wind back the clocks twenty five years or more…..

We were staying with mammy in Dublin for a few days.  My eldest brother and his family always made time to catch up with us when we went down to Dublin.  This trip was no different.

During the evening he produced a little gift for Elly.  It was a laminated placemat with a picture.  I think that the photo was originally produced by John Hinde for a postcard or calendar.

It was not the usual type of picture to give a child, but this meant something to Elly and more so to me.

The picture was enough to stop my brother in his tracks as he walked through his local Stationers/Bookshop.  It stopped him long enough to purchase half a dozen placemats for his nieces and nephews.

My brother recognised the area and the walk.  It was in County Kildare and the man was James.

Our picture was taken in much closer, but the shape and the walk are the same.  The dog this time round is walking and sniffing along the verge on the left hand side.

Uncle James was Daddy’s youngest brother.  We would recognise that shape anywhere.  My late uncle James did not own a dog, but another of my brothers was able to tell us that the Golden Retriever went walking with our uncle every day because………….

Not sure I should tell you why…..

No way!

OK, my uncle fed the dog a Mars bar.  I cringe when I think about it!

I noticed the other day that Donncha now has the same Header.

Some years ago, while working away in the office, one of my colleagues asked aloud of nobody in particular

“How do you fancy a Chinese?”

Quick as a flash without lifting my head, I replied

“I would prefer an Englishman myself!”

The office erupted with laughter.  You see it was in the hour before lunch and my colleague was wondering if any of us felt like going to the local Chinese Restaurant.  It was a place we frequented for birthdays or after a particularly busy week.  The food was good, the set menu reasonably priced and the service was fast.

Chinese Meal

On 1st April Ramana was fooling around with his LBC Post on Risk.

He finished it up with how he saw me in a traditional Indian outfit!

Grannymar in a sari.

Some people liked it.  Some laughed at it, while others positively disliked it.  To me it was all in good fun.  That of course does not prevent me from playing along with this game.

First off I tried this.

Then, in for a penny in for a pound!

Finally East meets West!

For over a decade I have not wanted to know about my Birthday.  It had nothing to do with the advancing years.  No.  It was more to do with situations that happened on the date rather than the day.

On my fiftieth birthday I took Jack for a hospital appointment with his Consultant.  On arrival we were informed that the Consultant had been called away for an emergency situation and that we were to be seen by a member of the team.  Since the appointment was routine, we agreed.

It was the wrong decision.  The young Registrar that was assigned to us, was still wet behind the ears and had plenty to learn about dealing with patients.  With two sentences he took away all hope for the most positive person that I have ever met.

TWO SENTENCES!

They were offered in a throwaway fashion equivalent to: Two slices of toast for breakfast would be a waste, you won’t have time to finish the first one!  It was the only time I ever put in a complaint about a member of any medical team.  Thankfully it was taken seriously.

One year later on that day, I followed the ambulance as Jack was transported for admission to the Hospice for his final seven weeks on this earth.

In the intervening years I have tried to ignore my birthday.  Yes there were cards, phone calls, texts and gifts, but I accepted them through a vacant haze.

Elly managed the situation well.  Mother’s Day in Ireland often fell in the week of my birthday, so the card covered both and came on the latter.  Our gifts to each other seldom arrive on the particular day.  A birthday gift might arrive in February or in August; on occasion a large gift will cover birthday, and Christmas and that is how I like it.  An hour together or a chat means more to me than any gift.

This year for the first time I actually felt able to look forward and face the day.  I might even sing the Beatles number this evening as I sip a glass of wine.

My day was spent opening cards and gifts, talking with loved ones and friends and I have postponed the partying until next week to share with Elly and George.

Two items worth sharing:

A book from a friend with a sense of humour!

AND

My name on a list! I am humbled and honoured to be included.  If you nominated me or judged me fit to be there, I offer my humble thanks.

Being 64 is not that bad after all!

Roll on next week.  The cake is planned and the candles are counted…..

This cake arrived by email before breakfast.  Thanks Steph!

Do you think I need to book the Fire Brigade?

I was not expecting a visit from good old St Val in this neck of the woods, yesterday.  But, it was still a good day.

In the middle of the night… well, it was the middle of my night, (so I suppose it counts as today) that I discovered I was on a list…  If you had a hand in adding my name, I am humbled and delighted.  It adds an extra de-mention to the whole event.

Later a card came winging my way

Then came the flowers:

Now ain’t I a lucky girl?

Thank you Ashok Sir for the generous gesture of bestowing on me this Stylish Blogger award!

Thinking ahead!

As some Bloggers see me!

Ó Θ Ø Ò

Seriously now, the Rules are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 5 other bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Is there anything you don’t know about me?

1. Would I live my life over again knowing what I now know?  YES!  The past is what shaped me into the person I am today.
2. I hate being late for an appointment. It is much worse when someone else causes me to be late.
3. Laughing with friends is my favourite pastime.  Laughing is like jogging on the inside and good for my heart & health!
4. I marked the passing of an old friend this week.  I was a bouncing five-year old with a chocolate box bow on my hair when we first met.  I learned to make toffee with her daughter and when it came time to check for setting, I suggested what mammy did while jam making!  We spooned the toffee onto a plate and left it on the windowsill to cool.  No!  The local cat did not get it… and neither did we.  The toffee set as hard as a rock and we broke the plate trying to remove it!
5. I once made wheaten bread that was heavier than a brick
6. I always wanted to build a KIT Car Maybe not the one in the pictures, but it gives you the idea.  At one stage I went as far as buying a set of plans!
7. The most fun I ever had with any craft project was making this:

The fascinator I wore to Elly & George’s wedding .

It was a tribute to Elly’s deceased grandmothers who both worked in Millinery.  I began with a large very fine pink sinamay bow - a bow being my signature piece throughout  my childhood.  The  feathers I had been collecting since the couple announced their engagement (long before I picked my outfit).  The wired beads were to add a little fun to the whole piece.

∞∞∞∞

I will not tag anyone for the award but leave it open for anyone who wishes to take part.