Today's Goals

• Eat Something Healthy
• Bring the dog for a long walk
• Start sorting the hotpress (and finish if there is time)

My Life

Mary Teresa, Peggy, John, Laurie, Bernadette, Clare, Victor, Gabrielle, Colette, Gerard, Ethna and Antoinette. Anthony was still born in after Colette and that was it, the bakers dozen. Poor mum and Dad spent the best years of their lives having us and feeding and washing us and worked hard and long days with little time for themselves. There was a French theme running through the names, I never asked why, we were mostly named after saints and holy people.

Life was good for us. In the summer we chased over hills and ditches, had fairy forts and fairy woods to play in. We had each other, sometimes there were Perry’s and O’Connors and others but mostly ourselves. We left the house after breakfast and returned for lunch, after lunch, which was dinner in those days, we were off again until tea or darkness whichever came first. Our Guardian angels must surely have been watching over us because we got into all sorts of scraps, me more than others I would guess . I was game for anything and could never see the danger in a situation. I fell into a flood one time, into a boghole another and would have been gone had Sean Tighe not pulled me out by the back of my neck. Another time I tried to hang myself off the swing, don’t ask I really don’t know what I was doing. It wasn't that I had a death wish, I was just pure careless and awkward. To my mother’s despair I was a tomboy, I was not into girls stuff, I preferred to be off climbing trees with the lads doing boy stuff, I was strong and tough and probably more suited to it than most.

I spent a lot of time in Sharkeys with Francie. He was kind and always full of fun and jokes though his life was probably not that good to him. He kept pigs in the little piggery with the low wall around the pig run. He calved and milked a few cows, by hand, and saved hay and turf. The days on the bog and hay were great fun for us. I am not sure if we were much help to him but we loved being there and when Mary Frances came with the soda bread and jam and bottles of sweet tea, we were in heaven. Sometimes there was sweet bread with currants in it as well. We chased frogs through the grass stubble, twisted hay ropes with Francie and always went home tired and exhausted and pleading to be let come back again.

Mornings in summer we would get up early, when the dew was still on the ground, and go looking for mushrooms. Sometimes there would still be a mist lying on the low ground and there was something clean and good about the early morning. We picked a grass seed stem and tied a knot in the top and we would string the mushrooms we found onto the other end, we would race from one clump of mushrooms to another and in time we knew exactly where we would find them. We had our route, the hilly fields near Sharkeys first, then up to the high flat ones and on across Perry’s lane to Jack Perry’s two near the house. It was good being out in the open early in the day and wild horses would not have stopped us going.

When the mushrooms were all collected and the grass stalks were full we headed home. Sometimes the mushrooms might get lost on the way if a knot unravelled or the stem broke. When we got in we lay the mushrooms out on the range white side down, sprinkled some salt onto the top of them and waited patiently for them to cook. Some did not like the mushrooms cooked like this, I did and probably got more than my fair share of them. Our friend Fr Sean made mushroom ketchup with them once and we had bottles of that in the press for ages.

Fr. Sean called often to our house. He was the local curate and I think in ways we felt he was one of us. He enjoyed my mothers cooking and often went home with a cake of bread or an apple tart. He was very musical and there was always singing and music about him. That was just up our alley because there was nothing better we liked than to sing. Laurie sang Two Little Boys and Fr Sean recorded it and we laughed because Laurie used to do something funny with his breath. I think Fr Sean liked him best all though he made a fuss of us all really. We never knew he was sick, he would go away from time to time and be gone for a few weeks, but we never knew what that was about. He said the nearest thing to heaven on earth for him was Mary Martin’s kitchen. We delivered envelopes for the Church collections with him, he identified the TCP tree, (Tom Cats Pee) drove us around, came to the sea with us, took us swimming in the bog lake and just had fun with him. I think there was some rumblings at one time that he was inappropriate with us but that was just some people in town being nasty. He never laid a hand on any one of us, we had fun with him and he was in the middle of every devilment we were up to. We sang when he said mass and locked the church up with him after an evening service or choir practice. Once we asked him what he would do in the dark church if Our Lady appeared to him, we thought he would say, he might fall to his knees and pray, not at all, he said he would leg it fast as he could out of the place.

Bank Holiday Weekend

I was so looking forward to this weekend, lots to do, clean out the cabin, sort out some clothes and bits and pieces around the house that I just could not get around to of late, no parish stuff just my own.
Now it is Monday morning and I have none of the things done that I wanted.  Saturday morning I ended up in the parish Center copying music with Eithne for Chorale.  Saturday afternoon I gave the kitchen a much needed cleaning.  Sunday morning Mass and then to Anne's where I was invited to lunch in the Springfield Hotel for my Birthday back in September.  It was a lovely lunch in good company. Back home, in the afternoon I felt unwell and went to bed, two hours of sleep and I felt ok, not so woozy, could be down to my recent condition.
It is galling me that I joined the gym after wanting it for so long and only got one week done before all hell broke loose in my body.  Well it cannot go on for ever.  More later, shower now and see how I am,

Should it be blog

What should I blog about tonight.
Should it be happiness that my dad, recent heart attack and two strokes, is now home and though physically weaker is in terrific spirits.
Should it be thanks for my two children, good kids and both doing well in college, both healthy and happy.
Should it be that I have a job I love with people who appreciate me.
Should it be that I have wonderful friends.
Should it be that the Justice & Peace group I am chairperson of are wonderful people with good and kind hearts.
Should it be for a close friend whom I parted ways with 3 weeks ago and now miss terribly.
Should it be that next week I am going to a launch of a book of stories of my dear friend Joan who died last year
Should it be a little health problem I had some time ago has raised its ugly head and I am washed out and weak as water.
Should it be that I made lovely cup cakes this morning which were very much appreciated by those who received them, furthermore it was great fun making them
Should it be that I had a lovely lunch out with some friends from work, with a nice glass of wine, good chat and good company
Should it be that the miners are all out safely
Should it be that I have a lovely dog who is mad as a hatter but loves to lick my feet, which I like.
All those should it be's are really things I have to be thankful for.

Thanks be to God (but not for the friendship parted)

Rough Places

The God of rough places, The Lord of Burnt men. This is the name of Fr Rick Frechette's book.

Sometimes I just need a hug

www.prisonsweek.org/2010

For some time in our Justice and Peace group we have been trying to find some way to highlight the fact that prisoners, irrespective of what they have done, must be treated with humanity and respect. This is probably the most difficult project we have ever been involved in. While it is easy to drum up support for people affected by floods or famine and our parish of St Mary's have supported our projects very well, support for prisoners is proving difficult even for members of our own group.

Once again Prisonsweek is upon us 21st - 27th November and we in St Mary's Justice and Peace group have set ourselves the challenge to do something to mark the week. Through work I found the website http://www.prisonsweek.org/2010 which has a wealth of stuff to download. There is a lovely prayer leaflet on the home page and about halfway down the page there is a link to another page which is full of reflective diaries from prisoners, chaplains, governors, mothers and many more involved in the day to day life of prisoners.
I am hoping that our parish will be able to use these resources in the liturgies over this week.
The church in Ireland have, in their wisdom, dropped prisoner week from the liturgical calendar and replaced it with Restorative Justice Sunday.

Pains and Aches

Plans for Saturday went pear shaped.  Back from the NCT centre and feeling horrible, could not get heat into my body even sitting on top of the fire.  Went to bed about three o clock with two hot water bottles shivering with the cold and slept until 7pm, out for the count I went and woke feeling somewhat better.  I don't know what it was, maybe emotional but I was just exhausted.  Sunday was little better so I took it easy, watched 84 Charing Cross Road and Miss Potter and knitted almost the back of a cardigan.
Since the weekend I have had sleepless nights, joints all along my right side are painful even to the fingers on my right hand.  I cannot sleep on either side or it is painful I have to sleep on my back.  It could be a virus, couple of days if it is not any better I will visit the doctor.  Brenda said to have a blood test, I could not even consider what the upshot of that might be.
Work was very busy today being pulled from Billy to Jack, well at least Brian to Jim.  It was just the same in every office in the building, a sense of stress and the Conference isn't even on next week.  I refused to get drawn into the panic and stress.   I find saying a few Hail Mary's or singing a chorus of a song helps to calm my mind.  I am inclined to obsess about things at times and find that helps.
What also helps is finding a really difficult song and trying to learn it, singing it over in your mind endlessly, its like cracking a puzzle.
Now watching George Clooney as Batman, nice.

This is my life

I am sitting in the waiting room at the NCP test centre in Fonthill. Some people stand at the window and watch their cars progress up the test lane. I sit as far back as I can. I don't want to witness the mechanic finding out whats wrong with it.

Broken tail light, will they fail me on that, problem with the cooling system which I have spent a fortune on and still not right, will they find that. Will they write the car off? Bit of torture this early on Saturday morning. Ok angels, see what ye can do. A sausage sandwich would be nice now.

Today I will try and catch up with some housework, tidy my bedroom, put away summer clothes.
It is very definately autumn now, leaves are changing colour rapidly this is a great chance for photographers to get out and about and get some nice shots. There is something about the light in autumn, it is softer and kinder than summer light.

Back home now from the NCT test centre. The car failed on 4 things. Low brake oil, broken tail light, two broken lights nearside and other side. I have to fix them and bring it back and they will check it, no cost. Not so bad I guess.

Called into Boots on the way home to get shower cream and shampoo and other bathroom essentials, I shopped wisely and got a pile of stuff for €28 which should keep us clean for another month.

I have been troubled and upset about something over the last day or so, the details I cannot go into here and leaving Boots this morning, having mulled it over in my mind and decided to make a clean break. I sat into the car, which had been cleared out for the NCT and at the corner of my eye I saw a picture of St Therese down in the pocket of the door, it had not been there earlier, I picked it up and read the lines underneath which were a quote from St Therese, "Love is all that matters, that's all I have to say". The tears spilled out of my eyes and I had a good cry, what it meant I don't know. Maybe it is just a coincidence, but there have been too many of them of late.

The song I am going to learn, This is my life I think it just about sums it up for me.

Funny how a lonely day, can make a person say:
What good is my life
Funny how a breaking heart, can make me start to say:
What good is my life
Funny how I often seem, to think I'll find never another dream
In my life
Till I look around and see, this great big world is part of me
And my life
This is my life
Today, tomorrow, love will come and find me
But that's the way that I was born to be
This is me
This is me

This is my life
And I don't give a damn for lost emotions
I've such a lot of love I've got to give
Let me live
Let me live

Sometime when I feel afraid, I think of what a mess I've made

Of my life
Crying over my mistakes, forgetting all the breaks I've had
In my life
I was put on earth to be, a part of this great world is me
And my life
Guess I'll just add up the score, and count the things I'm grateful for
In my life
This Is my life
Today, tomorrow, love will come and find me
But that's the way that I was born to be
This is me
This is me

This is my life
And I don't give a damn for lost emotions
I've such a lot of love I've got to give
Let me live
Let me live

This is my life
This is my life
This is my life

Fed Up

I'm so fed up with AIB - thats Anglo Irish Bank
With Fine Gael and Brian Cowen
And all the beer he drank

With bonds and billions
record highs 
Economists and bale outs

While every day
they mess around 
with our wages for their payouts

Why should WE pay for their screw ups?

Why should WE toe the line?
Why should the Government expect it?

of this Tiger in decline?

But today I ask a question

That causes me unease

WHO THE BLAZES OWNS ME?

AND CAN I HAVE ME BACK PLEASE

Wednesday

Sleepless night last night went into a deep sleep at 7 when Mary went. Good that Mary and Bernadette sharing a room. The morning was bright when I finally woke at 8. There ws a beautiful view from my window overlooking the nearby mountains. Showered and got ready to go out. Grotto Mass was 9.15 Meeting at quarter to nine at the rose statue. When I got there none of the group were there so I went to the grotto but they were not there either. After waiting a while they started to gsther.

Lourdes Pilgrimage

One day a few weeks ago I was looking at an article about Lourdes and just thought that it would be nice to go there again. It was out of the question of course with two sets of college fees to be paid and all that went with them. Something was nagging at me to go and I said a prayer to OurLady that if she wants me there to get me the fare somehow. Two days later I was presented with a bank draft which would pay my fare. Why? I don't know. Did Our Lady want me there or was it just a coincidence. Only time will tell. Sitting here in Dublin Airport flight delayed an hour. No hurry no fuss.

God bless all on this Pilgrimage.

I was 10 again

Away at the far end of my parents garden

There's a leafy bower

where garden waste is recycled

into fine compost

With a barrow full of clippings

I made my way

by the humming bees

through the tall grass and nettles

In that bower I stood

while the breeze caressed the leaves

The scent of new mown grass

evoking memories from my past

I was 10 again

running through the tall grass

chasing frogs in the meadow

making a hay rope with Francie

drinking milky tea out of glass bottles

eating chunks of sweet bread

I was 10 again

Up with the dawn

scouring the nearby fields for wild mushrooms

threading them through a knotted grass stalk

Carrying them carefully home

to cook on the range

I was 10 again

and dad was in the garden

leaning on the shovel

up to his chest in potato stalks

earthing the spuds

And

Mum was in the kitchen

humming the Little Beggerman

up to her elbows in flour

baking two cakes of brown bread

for the day

But now I am not 10

Francie is gone and the hay is no longer saved

and I don't know if mushrooms still grow wild

Dad, now a frail old man, is up to his chest in nurses and nuns

and mum is up to her elbows in phones eye drops and prayers

God bless them all the dead and the living

and God bless the ten year old girl

Problems uploading.

I have been having problems posting from my phone and I am testing this to try and see where the problem lies.

And it is working Yahoo.

Window in Unitarian Church, Dublin.

I have for the first time found what I can truly love - I have found you. You are my sympathy, my better self, my good angel.  I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely. A fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me into one.

A Day in the life

10 - 11pm
Good Night, God bless.

A Day in the life

9 - 10pm
Dr House

A Day in the life

8 - 9pm
Cameron is New Prime Minister. Boy do the English get excited.

A Day in the life

7 - 8pm
Just when I decide to go out and make up my baskets the flipping rain starts, but I did not give up. I know they look a bit miserable yet but with a little tender loving care they should be lovely.

A Day in the life

6 - 7pm
Lisa and her friend Jenny back from Liffey Valley, two lovely girls.

A Day in the life

5 - 6pm
Facebook and a cup of tea after a lovely stir fry.

A day in the life

4 - 5 pm
Shopping in Lidl

A day in the life

4pm - 5pm
Shopping in Lidl

A day in the life

3pm - 4pm
Billy

A day in the life

2pm - 3pm
Lorna

A day in the life

1pm - 2pm
Wisteria by Joan (robbed)

A day in the life

12 - 1pm
Every day I light a candle for someone? Often a member of staff would ask for prayers I light the candle and ask the angel to mind them. Today the candle is for those doing exams.

A day in the life

10am - 12pm
Brenda arriving after a meeting

A Day In the Life

9 - 10am
Amaryllis on my office window.

A day in the life

8 - 9am
At the entrance to Maynooth College. Castle in the background.

A day in the life

8 - 9am
Todays scones

A day in the life

7 - 8am The tree in church grounds in St Marys springs into life a good three weeks later than the others

A day in the life

6 - 7am
Gravestones above the wall at the back of church

Sleeping on the floor

There is something cleansing about sleeping on the floor, which I did all weekend in Reid's house with 8 young people. Of course it was hard and uncomfortable but when I did get to sleep I had a restful sleep and did not have the aches and pains I expected. Perhaps we have become accustomed to softer and softer beds and have moved away from what is natural for our bodies.


We had a good weekend and mum chirped up and was looking and feeling better when she went to Gabrielle's house, she had a tour of the garden and chatted and talked to all and sundry. She was tired today but is in good form. She is so delicate now and growing ever more so.

On the way back we visited John's and had a tour of his vegetable garden complete with seed nursery and he showed us all the plants and seedlings he has just coming out he says that growth is very slow and things are growing very very slowly. He hatched chickens in an incubator has another lot ready to hatch and set Laurie up to do likewise. He has a real love for the earth and growing things.

Girls in sleeping bags in Reids house.

Mark setting up one of his games. Birthday cards still up.

Day pack

I am compiling a list of all the stuff i will need each day on Camino just 9 days away. I can hardly believe it. this is the day pack list. Trying to imagine every scenario but of course you cannot until you do it.

Impossible to phone type on the bus

Buns baked and on 67A bus on way to work. Lobely sunny morning. Only 7.47am.

St. Joseph's Square, Maynooth.

My bedside friends

These three sit on the locker by my bed. On the left bedtime bear called Bernie who says 'Now I Lay me down to sleep' , Boo doll from (the name escapes me now) she shouts ' Mike Zawalski' and sings a pretty gobbeldygook song, The last is an angel who some have the same and said it sings never heard it myself but I am reliably informed. These are my nightime friends.

Bog Fire

Fairly dramatic bog fire outsode Tubbercurry. Car broke down on way back and waiting for fire engine to rescue me. Life dull for me, never.

The road less travelled

The five crossroads

Donkey

Perrys field - where we looked for mushrooms early in the morning

Sharkeys - where I learned to milk

Where we fished for leebeens

Dad back from getting the paper.

Carpark

My brother is building a shed on the hill and all greenery is cleared away. Now like a parking lot.

My Ballymote shoes

Easter Altar in St. Mary's

Petrol prices in Lucan

Kildare Village

Easter Sunday

John 20:1-10 1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Good Friday

Scripture: John 19:23-27
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was  without seam, woven from top to bottom; 24 so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfil the scripture, "They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." 25 So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag'dalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), "I thirst." 29 A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 

Holy Thursday

 <sup>Luke 22

39</sup>Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. ⁴⁰On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." ⁴¹He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴²"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." ⁴³An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[c]
 45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Jesus Arrested

 ⁴⁷While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  ⁴⁹When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
 ⁵¹But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.
 ⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns."

Spy Wednesday

John 12:1-8 1


Jesus therefore, six days before the pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there: and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he that was about to betray him, said: Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein.
Jesus therefore said: Let her alone, that she may keep it against the day of my burial. For the poor you have always with you; but me you have not always.

Immediately after this, Judas met with the chief priests to betray Our Lord for thirty pieces of silver.

Lisa and Mark with the two dogs

Lisa with Cobi and Yoshi

No uniform day

Mark had a No Uniform day in school today. Doesn't he look smart.