A Great Day Out

Experienced a few firsts yesterday...

1. First time on a train!

Christine, Kerry, and Lee, took me on a day trip to Killarney. It was a really great time!

2. Rented a bike

We cycled to Killarney National Park, but the first bit we had to go on the road...I was absolutely PETRIFIED!!! For one, I haven't been on a bike in years, so I was as wobbly as a wet spaghetti noodle, and as I've mentioned before- Irish roads are narrow, and Irish drivers are nutso. They go FAST. I was praying the whole time, "God please don't let me hit that pothole and go flying in front of a car!!!"
I was seriously scared for my life.
But all good things come to an end, and we did get to the Park eventually. Then it was fun, and good exercise :)
First we stopped by the Lake Hotel to look at some ruins on an island. It was pretty cool, and the sun finally came out so that was good!

After that we biked some more and saw Muckross Abbey under construction, and a creepy cemetery, and after a little while longer (this was a long bike ride!) we arrived at Muckross House!!

It was absolutely gorgeous! I felt like I was on a movie set for Pride & Prejudice or something. I took the tour of the inside...absolutely unbelievable! 70% of the furnishings were the originals from 1800-whatever...beautiful. And the whole place was massive. Living there back in those days it would have been a whole community just inside the one building. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside :(
I also walked through some of the gardens, and took pictures of the horse & buggy service that clip-clopped by...

After about 2 hours there we got back on our bikes and started pedaling again. By this time I had become keenly aware of the very narrow, hard, seat on my bike. Ouch!
On the way back, we took a short detour and saw the rugged Ross Castle! After I snapped a few shots, we headed back to return our bikes.

We went out for supper, and I had Traditional Irish Stew, which is really more like soup with lots of yummy chunks of beef, cabbage, onion, carrots, potato, etc.
Finished off by sharing blackcurrant and pear sorbet with Kerry.
I would have taken a picture, but it went too fast :P
It was only after we'd stuffed ourselves, that we realized we had a train to catch! We literally ran for it!
The ride home was quiet. We were all totally wiped from all the exercise!
I discovered that you can cover a lot of ground on a bike, and it might be worthwhile for me to try and take it up a little more often. But my sore bottom says otherwise.

(As usual, more pictures can be found on my Facebook profile)

The tale of Penelope did not start well, her beauty transformed by an evil spell. To the world outside the news was big, a poor little girl, with the nose of a pig! How to break the curse? Well, nobody knows... unless a handsome prince can be made to propose...

What better way to spend Valentine's Day than watching a fairytale-esque girly movie?
Haha...ok, there are probably lots, but hey...I enjoyed it :)

Joy Comes in the Morning!

That's right, I'm trading my sorrows!
And let me tell you, they were numerous ;)
After a fitful sleep last night, I woke up early and laid in bed until 9:30, but the sun was shining and I had to get up to get stuff done, and head out to the Mum's & Tots group at 10:30.
I was feeling very stressed out with everything I needed to get done, and not really wanting to go, but it was the one day that I was needed to stay and lock up afterwards.
Joy #1- A GLORIOUS SUNNY DAY!!! It is absolutely gorgeous weather today! I actually got really warm from the sun, and didn't wear a coat. I love it so much!
Joy #2- The babies were especially cute today and smiled at me! Usually babies don't like me. The mums were nice too ;)
Joy #3- Was reminded that we don't have Bible Club tomorrow so I don't have to stress about getting the craft ready.
Joy #4- Met a couple people that I knew in town when I went shopping. Nothing makes you feel like a "local" quite like stopping to chat halfway across the Fermoy bridge!
Joy #5- This is a big one...ready?

As I was walking home, lugging my groceries, and sweating...yes, sweating (from the sun, not the exertion OF COURSE)I thought to myself, The only thing that could make this day the best ever is if I FINALLY got my birthday parcel. I craned my neck to see if there was a nice brown package awaiting on my doorstep.

Well there wasn't. That's ok, I consoled myself. It'll be here soon.

And as I fit the housekey into the lock, something caught my eye...tucked away behind the plant-stand was a goodly-sized brown package!!!

YIPEEEE!!!

My Mom's birthday parcel has arrived at last!!!



There were lots of goodies inside, and books, and a great CD by Leah Nogue, Katie's sister. Wait. Not all of you might know Katie. I might have to do a little post about her later. No pun intended. Snicker. Haha, sorry Katie.

The only thing that was mysteriously missing were...well here's a clue.

That's right, the dropjes were not in the package. I suspect foul play.
But that's ok. Not even missing dropjes can dampen this sunny day for me!

A Foggy Day

Ahhhhhh...warm, snuggly, bliss...
Cue wake-up alarm.
Just five more minutes, please.
Cue snooze alarm.
NO!
Ugh, I should really get up.
Drag myself out of bed, get ready.
Heading out the door in 10 minutes to catch the bus.
Phone rings.
Flight delayed due to fog.
Ok.
So there was no need for me to get up this early. I could have slept in.
Sigh.
I catch a later bus, and arrive on time.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
No sign of Christine. I go shopping until next aircoach arrives.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
No Christine.
Go shopping again.
Decide to catch 4:00 bus home. At 3:30 mobile rings.
Christine is back in Belfast after an ordeal with flights and foggy conditions. Have to arrange another time to meet. Sorry that your day was messed up.
No big deal. Its ok.
Bus home.
Very tired.
Wish I could've slept in, that's all.

"Wrecked"

One Irish-ism I learned quite quickly was the term "wrecked". It is used to describe someone who seems exhausted, haggard, bedraggled, etc...and after this weekend I think I can safely say I am totally wrecked.
I don't do well with long car rides, they seem to drain more energy than running a marathon (not that I can say I've done that!!!). And I really don't like sitting, which is what I spent Saturday doing. Sunday I was out all day, at least three people on separate occasions mentioned I looked 'tired', and getting up this morning was a battle of epic proportions.
I got the overcrowded bus to Cork and arrived at work to find that I was nearly on my own all day, and I had a splitting headache. Then in the afternoon I WAS on my own, and it was busy, so busy that I stayed an extra hour because they were short people. I dragged myself onto the overcrowded bus home and limped up the hill (yeah, I'm laying it on thick here because I need to vent), collapsed inside the door, threw dinner in the oven, popped a painkiller, and sprawled across the bed with a hot water bottle cradled behind my neck.
"Tomorrow you can sleep in," I crooned to my poor pounding head, "You can take it easy and clean up this disaster of a household. Having a clean house always makes you so happy..."
(This place is seriously in dire need.)
My sore head purred at the thought of no alarm in the morning, and hanging the laundry to dry in the conservatory.
Then the phone rang.
I hobbled over and answered it.
"Hi is this Jill?" asked the voice. "This is Christine. Are you still ok to meet me in Cork tomorrow?"
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Christine is overseeing the SWIM program I am "officially" with and she had emailed me a while ago to arrange a day when she could fly down from Belfast to meet with me and see how I was doing. She had never confirmed a day though, so I had completely forgotten!
Being the little fake that I am, I put on a cheerful voice and we made our plans as if I wasn't in utter cranial agony and the last thing I wanted to do was get up early and catch another overcrowded bus!
Which is exactly what I will be doing tomorrow morning.
I expect I will be out all day and will get no housework done.
Waaah.
I will be SO wrecked after this week!

Going to Town in Portadown

Tonight myself and at least 3 others from the church are driving up North to Portadown to attend a conference for Christian childrens' workers (or something like that!). Basically its on how to teach God's grace to children/teens in a way that they will understand, I'm sure it will be helpful to myself as well. Those that went last year (it was on a different topic) say that its really good.
We will arrive at the B&B around midnight tonight, and then the conference will take up all of tomorrow, and then we're driving back, so I'm afraid I won't have much daylight to take pictures...its really too bad we have our priorities straight :P

Lent

I don't know much about Lent, and I've never done it before. From what I hear it commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, and you are supposed to give up something you like for forty days starting today.
I'm giving up Chocolate.
It will be very hard. I am addicted, a self-confessed chocoholic. And its very easy to come by here, in some form or another. I have chocolate almost every day, really.
I want it already.

My Turn

I've taken the personality test, and the results are in...I am "INFP-- The Dreamer"!
Not really a label I would have given myself, and I don't fit the entire description (I don't think) but it gets pretty darn close.
I love doing these quizzes and learning more about myself, so I enjoyed reading the in-depth analysis and deciding what was "me", and what wasn't.

"INFPs are introspective, private, creative and highly idealistic individuals that have a constant desire to be on a meaningful path. They are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and humanity as a whole. INFPs are imaginitive, artistic and often have a talent for language and writing. They can also be described as easygoing, selfless, guarded, adaptable, patient and loyal."

What I found interesting was what one of the links had to say about how INFP's feel about their careers and how they learn.

"As young adults, INFPs may have some difficulty finding the ideal career and the ideal mate, in part because of that very word 'ideal'. They have a vision in mind of what they want, yet reality may not follow suit. They may make several starts and stops in their career until they find a comfortable place for themselves...
...INFPs need a purpose beyond the paycheck...Their job must be fun, although not racous, and it must be meaningful to them...They want to be recognized and valued, without undue attention given to them. They may become embarrassed when made the center of attention...INFPs are quite disorganized. But when tasks at hand are important and best done in an organized way, INFPs strive to do so."

Any clues in there as to why I was so unhappy working at Tim Hortons?!

As for learning, thank goodness my parents decided to homeschool! What a blessing...

"INFPs learn best in flexible situations where they know the teacher takes a personal interest in them. They like to be able to interact with their peers, but not too much so. They want to feel free to dig into subjects that are of interest to them...Subjects that hold a great deal of interest for them are learned readily. They will often do extra work in their attempt to learn as much as possible about something of interest. "

And a few other random glimpses of my personality:

INFPs seldom confront situations directly, in part because they do not like conflict. Whenever possible, they would rather wait for a situation to work itself out, since they trust that people will work things through...They do not like following all the rules and regulations, but they are not overtly rebellious...INFPs' leisure activities are done alone --- reading, listening to music, and gardening are some activities likely to appeal to them.

This was one link that I found particularly accurate for me. Enjoy!

One More Thing...

It was a gorgeous day outside today....
The sun was shining, birds were singing, buds were blooming...
I do enjoy January in Ireland!

An Unpardonably Boring Post

I'm afraid I have nothing terribly exciting to report today...no floods or getting lost in the mountains or anything.
I moved back into the Mawhinney's house on Monday, so I said goodbye to my little room in St. James Place, and hauled my accumulation of goods up to Quarry Hill. Its scary how much stuff I have now. As I packed I went through it all deciding what will come back with me (very little) and what will stay (a lot).
As a result of returning to this house, I am freezing again! I swear its colder inside than out. Thank goodness for the woolly socks and fuzzy slippers I got for Christmas from my family :)
Sam, Karen, and the boys are leaving tomorrow morning. They are going on Sabbatical (they were planning on going to Kenya, but now with all the fighting going on there that has recently been canceled) and will be back to move all their things to Dublin in March.
So I have this big cold house all to myself starting tomorrow afternoon...I don't know what I will do with myself!

Lurker's Lurgy

Lurk.er, n. 1. One who lurks.
Lur.gy, n. 1. British English slang for an unspecified or mythical contagious disease, generally one considered inconvenient and non-fatal with obvious symptoms, such as influenza or the common cold.

Have you ever read a blog and not commented?
Did the blog belong to someone you knew?
Maybe someone you didn't know well?
Maybe someone you didn't know at all?
If yes, then you have the dreaded Lurker's Lurgy.
I myself suffer from a mild case. I know how you feel...you find the blog entertaining, interesting, or at the very least a good method of procrastination. The topic of a specific post might make you laugh, smile, or spark controversy.
You react to the words on the screen, but you don't comment because...

You are afraid.
You think: "The blogger will think I'm creepy. They will think I'm stalking them, they will stop posting, they won't write as honestly, they will be weirded out, etc."

I have felt these things, my friends. I know your pain. Lurker's Lurgy is an uncomfortable affliction, closely associated with guilt and insecurity.

But if they didn't want people to read their blog, it wouldn't be open to the public now would it? No. So, moving on...

The only cure to Lurker's Lurgy is Commenting.
Revealing yourself.
Exposed for the Nosy, Time-Wasting, Addicted blogger you are!

Don't turn away! Its not as bad as it sounds. After all, we are all in this together. See, the thing is we all have it to some degree...so there is a capacity for understanding when a Lurker confesses! The blogger will understand where the Lurker is coming from, because chances are, that blogger lurks as well. So there are benefits all around!

1. The Lurker is cured of Lurker's Lurgy, and now has the freedom to comment when and how they please.
2. A sense of Blogging Community is nurtured.
3.The Blogger will have more comments to read, and appreciate, thus spurring them on to blog more regularly.
3. The Lurker-Turned-Commenter gets to read more regular updates!

As Mufasa would say, we are all connected in the Great Circle of Life! *private snicker*

You might think, "Easy for you to say. I'll bet you've never De-Lurked in your life."
That's where you'd be wrong. I've de-lurked plenty of times, in fact, if you blog and have received a comment from me that is evidence that I've De-Lurked right there. Furthermore, I De-Lurked today. I officially revealed my Lurking Presence to a Blogger I have never met.
I was scared. But I did it...and in doing so, received a taste of the antidote to Lurker's Lurgy. Maybe in time I will be wholly cured, and comment indiscriminately wherever I go.

I encourage you to conquer your festering case of Lurker's Lurgy, for blogging's sake.
You can start today, by clicking the little brown link just down there that says "friends left a note". You can introduce yourself, tell how you found this blog, and why you read it, and then you will be a friend of PJ too!
Wouldn't that be exciting?!
Go on...do it! Do it! Do it!

2-0

So now I am officially old...
I have left the teenage years behind me forever...and I can't say I'm sorry to see 'em go! They weren't all bad of course, but I think my 20's will be a million times better.
Yesterday was a lot of fun, especially spending time with a family from the church. I've gotten to know the two oldest girls quite well, and they are great. When we arrived at their house I was greeted with an alternate version of the Happy Birthday song by the youngest, and then presented with this:



She also made me chocolate rice krispie "buns" which were a true delight, and I got to wear this special pin:



I was spoiled rotten and given star treatment. Chocolate birthday cake with candles and lots of presents!



I have also learned that perfume is a popular gift here. Previously I've not really owned a lot of perfume, but since Christmas I have accumulated 4 bottles!



I felt really blessed to be loved by such wonderful and generous people here!

So all in all it was a great birthday...but when I woke up this morning I had some serious cold symptoms, and it was thundering outside, quite literally. So we'll have to see how this whole era goes...!

Cappuccino Criticisms...

Volunteering at the City Gates Cafe in Cork is usually a lot of fun, and I had been thinking that I don't mind working in a coffee shop, and its nice, and la, la, la...but yesterday I got a little reminder of the negative side...the Annoying Customer.

*cue mystical "rippling" effect and harp music as we go back in time...*
First of all you must understand that previous to my time in the coffee shop here I would not be able to tell you the difference between a cappuccino and a latte, or an americano to a macchiato. But thanks to my little cheat sheet I can flaunt my knowledge to all and sundry.
Anyway, this lady comes in an orders a cappuccino so what do I do? Read the cheat sheet of course! Double shot of expresso + "textured" (read: steamed) milk = Cappuccino. Yay for me!
Unfortunately I am unable to make the milk foam much so it doesn't look quite as flashy as I might like, but all in all I'm rather proud of myself. I'm just easily pleased like that.
A few minutes later the lady comes by to pay and I ring it up: cappuccino = 2.95
So I tell her. And she goes,
"How much is it?"
"2.95" Sometimes my accent can be hard for people to understand, so I don't mind repeating myself.
"For a regular coffee?" She asks.
"Oh I'm sorry I thought you ordered a cappuccino," I say, thinking I had made a mistake.
"I did," She says, "But I only got a regular coffee."
"Oh no," I assure her, "That's a cappuccino."
"No its not." She says firmly.
"Um...yes it is." Trying to still sound chirpy at this point.
"No its not." She repeats.
Should I revert to age 8 mode and start shouting, "Is to?". I'm really not very good with confrontation, and I'm not too sure what the policy here is for cranky customers.
"I don't mean to sounds rude," She says, sounding very rude, "But it is NOT a cappuccino. It tastes like coffee."
Whoa...hold on a minute. A specialty coffee tastes like coffee?! Something must be seriously wrong here! (forgive me...sometimes the sarcastic voice in my head is the only thing that keeps me sane. Frightening isn't it?)
She wouldn't pay for it, insisting that it was a regular coffee, so in the end she only paid for a regular coffee. And it made me angry.
Just goes to show that even though I might be hitting the big 2-0 tomorrow, I still have a lot of growing up to do! I let people like that get under my skin, and I take everything personally. And if I had spoken to her in the way that I really wanted to, she probably would not think very highly of the Christians at City Gate Cafe...

The Great Flood of Fermoy

Check this out...



When I told you its been raining buckets lately, I wasn't exaggerating!
Fermoy has flooded!
Well, part of it at least. The stretch of stores just down the road from my place are all closed for flooding.

The river is sooo high, and a couple roads are blocked off, and a field is completely submerged.

For once I wasn't the only one carrying a camera, so I didn't feel self-conscious about snapping some shots! (Unfortunately I think I may have damaged my camera with all the damp it has seen here. The pictures haven't been turning out so well lately. Grrr....why am I so irresponsible?!)

I did some errands this morning and that was the extent of it.
But by the time I headed back mid-afternoon there was only small dry spot to cross on. I had to cross the bridge again after 3, and walked through an inch or so of water. Car traffic was being funneled by the garda. At 4:30 the water had risen so much that no cars were being allowed across the bridge, and it was several inches deep. One garda was ferrying poor stranded pedestrians such as myself across the flooded road. I was so excited thinking I was going to get a ride in real Irish police car!!!


But then he drove off and didn't come back, so I had to walk through it. It only came up just past my ankles, but the water was FREEZING!!! When I got home I quickly changed into my new warm, dry slippers, but snapped a picture for the blog of course ;)

The day was actually beautiful, sunny and warm, and it seemed like everyone made it out to take pictures, survey the damage, and talk with neighbors. It was like a big town get-together! Fermoy even made it on the news. Sadly, it sounds like the damages will be quite high, but they are used to flooding here, so it hasn't come as a big shock to anyone. Its just that this has been the biggest flood in a long time.

And sure I know that this isn't my "internet day", but I figure news like this can't be kept waiting. It needs to blogged about while its still fresh...so don't give out to me about breaking my restriction. Spirit of the law, not letter of the law, ok?

Coming Soon...

An earlier comment got me thinking all things Narnia...and I found this! Cinematically (made that word up, but you know what I mean!) I've been living under a rock until this past week, so I was pretty excited to see that Prince Caspian is well on its way, and I'll be able to enjoy it in June! SO EXCITED!!!

A Taste of Home

So, a week into the New Year, and it brings me a little taste of home :D
First, during a visit to Tescoes (The Irish -or maybe European?- equivalent of Superstore) what do I spy with my little eye...? Tim Hortons prepackaged donuts! It was a little twilight zone experience. I could hardly believe it. There right in front of me was something very Canadian. So naturally I took a picture!!!



And then I got my "Christmas package" from home!!! How exciting!!! Amongst the goodies were these delightfully warm, and much-anticipated slippers!


And my favorite tea that is sadly unavailable here. I look forward to sipping the nectar later today...

Not much has been going on with me. The kids/teens clubs don't start until next week, but I'm busy preparing the crafts for them. My "scissor hands" will be very developed soon! Nice and muscly. Very attractive.
The weather has been cold, frosty on two occasions, which felt a very little bit like Canada. Right now its raining buckets. I haven't been out walking much due to the rain. And my laziness.
I have socks stuck around the French doors in my room to keep out the draft. Last week we had serious wind storms and I could feel the freezing cold breeze circling my room. It was actually so strong that some of the socks were blown out! Now its not so bad. It just looks funny. I have very colorful socks.
Been watching some movies on a portable DVD player lately. Amazing Grace was last night's delight. 'Twas fantastic...really liked it. Maybe I will watch Transformers tonight :P

EDIT: Oh PS...Did I mention that I am giving my first ever official Piano Lessons this week?! I'm terrified!

2008 Update

A year ago I made some New Years resolutions...let's see how I did...

Monday, January 1
2007

Things I Want To Do This Year:

-Make exercise a habit

Well, well, well...a classic. Can't say I succeeded, with this one, but who really does? To be fair, I do exercise more now than I did last year, but its far from being "habit".

-Break a bad habit

Didn't break the habit I wanted to. That makes two failed resolutions. Not a good start!

-Visit friends in Alberta

I visited Family which I count as friends in September...so I'll count this one.

-Challenge myself to not buy clothes that blatantly sport Brand Names

Aha! I only bought one "blatant" name-brand item, and it was here in Ireland on sale and I needed a hoodie, so I don't even feel bad. But notice the wording here. I DID challenge myself, so this is definitely a successful resolution.

-Expand my library of both books and music

Check.

-Get a new job.

Check. (Tim Hortons is but a distant memory...*BIG grin*)

-Go to Ireland

CHECK!!!

-Get a credit card

Check.

-Move out

Check?

I know there is probably a lot more, but I''m tired and this is all I could think of. I'll check in Jan. 1/08 and see how well I did.

I think I did pretty well!

So well in fact, that I don't think I will make any this year. I'd hate to tarnish this sparkling record.

I Absolutely Love It

The girls think I'm so weird because I take pictures of these adorable brightly-colored townhouses. I can't help it...they are just so awesome!

T'was the Day After Christmas...

The morning dawned bright and clear.

At least in Fermoy.

The Mawhinneys, Kevanys, and I, met at 10 AM and drove about 45 minutes to co. Tipperary where we bumped our way to the base of the Galtee Mountains.

It was cold, wet, and very foggy. Looking down to the valley you could distinctly see that the sun was shining everywhere but where we were.



I had looked forward to this for far too long to be put off, but the kids, specifically Peter Mawhinney, were anything but thrilled. He made sure we all knew this was the worst day of his life. Little did he know what was to come!

The scenery was gorgeous to begin with...what wasn't shrouded in fog was lush, green, and very rural Ireland. Mossy stone walls, rolling hills flecked with sheep, spidery bare trees, and the crisp clean scent of fresh rain. Ahhh....

It wasn't far up the rocky path that the fog soon drowned any scenery there might have been. It got thicker and thicker the further up we went. All we could see was the path and the thick tufts of spiky brown grass on either side.



We stopped to rest on a pile of rocks for a quick bite to eat and something to drink, and then it was time to climb. So far the trail hadn't been challenging. Mostly my feet were aching from the rocks. But once we got off the path and started to climb the mountain...that was different.

It was the weirdest experience. When I think of climbing a mountain I'm such a Canadian. I expect trees, bushes, and...a view. This was a never-ending grassy hill that shot straight up into the misty unknown. If felt like we were on some sort of huge conveyor belt that kept going and going, and we couldn't get off. The occasional rock would pass us by and that was at least some reassurance that we were getting somewhere!



The incline seemed to get steeper and steeper with every step. We were all huffing and puffing like old men smoking their pipes, and drenched with a fine blanket of mist. The water would run down my nose when I leaned forward to rest, and surprise me because I hadn't noticed that I was slowly being soaked.

But it wasn't the damp that made us cold. It was the howling wind.
The closer we got to the top the angrier it became. Soon it was so strong that it threatened to topple you down the slope if you turned the wrong way. We could barely speak to each other for the noise.

At long, long, last we reached the top. We cheered, but you could hardly hear it, and since we near thrown over the edge from the wind (not even joking)it didn't take long for us to find shelter behind some rocks to regain our strength with tea and sandwiches.


As it turns out, getting back was even more of an adventure!

Us females foolishly felt some security knowing the male leaders of the group (Sam and Eamon) were armed with a map and compass. We headed down the mountain following instructions to veer to the left.

So we walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And started to get some inkling that something wasn't right.

At first there was some joking at the mens' expense. And then they started consulting their compass more and more frequently.



And then we met some more wanderers who weren't quite sure where we were, but were quite sure that we should be heading right.

So we headed to our right and walked.

And walked.

And walked.

And before we knew it were were in a valley of sheep.



"Go Baa-ck!" Warned the wise old sheep.

The men finally confessed they were lost.



Eamon pow-wowed with the other Lost Wanderers, and they agreed that we needed to keep walking right.



So we did.

By now we were completely soaked. The mist and occasional bursts of rain got our heads and clothes, and the treacherous bogs had claimed our shoes so many times that we didn't even bother going around them anymore. My socks were surrounded in a warm pool of water squishy delightfully between my toes. My hands were red and numb, completely incapable of performing simple tasks.

And yet I was having the time of my life! Seriously, it was SO much fun! I just loved the exhilaration and being outdoors. It just makes you feel so ALIVE! I just wanted to pitch a tent, build a fire and try to boil some water for tea :D
Who cares that we're lost in an endless sea of mist?



Well...Peter was crying.

Luckily for him, we found the path eventually and from there on it was easy-going, and we all made it back to the cars safe and sound! Let me tell you though, it was a QUIET ride home!

Continued in "The Mystery of the Lost Key"...

Oh wait you already heard that one. Well my life seems to come up with these random stupid adventures now and then so I'm sure something else will come up.

Home Again

The family returned last night! Hallelujah!
This morning I trooped my greasy-haired, rumpled-clothes, self back and was graciously received. I took a shower (ahh, bliss) and put my things in order...

...and found my key.

In my backpack.

Where I had specifically searched before.

I just KNEW it would turn up in an embarrassingly obvious place!

A Day in the Life

I wasn't going to tell anyone.
Especially since its terribly embarassing, and you may mock me, and/or lose respect for me as a responsible adult...which is probably what I would do if I were the one reading this, and not writing it.
Today is the second day of my exile from my home. And by home I mean the boarding house where I stay. See, on St. Steven's Day (read: Boxing Day) when I got home from climbing the Galtee Mountains (that will be another post altogether...and be excited because it's filled with adventure as well)I stumbled into my room and dropped everything just to get into a hot shower so I could feel my toes again. Afterwards I tidied my hugely messy room.
Somewhere in that time period, my house key went missing.
A half-hour before I had to leave again I started looking for it. I looked EVERYWHERE. In pockets, in drawers, in the kitchen, in the bed, in boxes and bags; I crawled around on my hands and knees! NO KEY.
Suddenly there was someone waiting for me outside, and I stupidly thought, "Well I will just have to ring the doorbell to get back in tonight, and then I will have to get a spare in the morning."
LITTLE DID I KNOW.
Apparently everyone else in the house has taken advantage of the holidays to evacuate the premises.
So when Mary brought me home that night, no one was there to let me in, and she kindly offered to let me stay at their place for the night.
Feeling very, VERY, foolish for imposing myself on their family, I slept in borrowed pyjamas and a bright pink Disney princess room.
In the morning I tried again.
Still no one home.
Everyone is probably out for the rest of the weekend.
So, feeling very homeless and bedraggled, I have taken up residence in the empty home of Sam and Karen while they are away to the North. (Yeah, I asked permission!)
Ironically I have their housekey, but not my own.
Luckily I have my phone, my wallet, and my camera with extra batteries with me. All the necessities of life.
I don't have any change of clothes, my own toothbrush, or anything to make me feel remotely less grungy and homeless than I am.
But it could be worse. I could be wearing my contacts.
I'm trying to think of it as an adventure, but all I'm really doing it watching tv and wistfully hoping that someone would answer when I phone the house.
This is driving me CRAZY. I'm trying to think of where the heck I could have put that key! It'll probably turn up somewhere REALLY obvious, and this being a small town/community, everyone I know will probably know that I locked myself out and when it DOES turn up they will ask where it was and I will have to describe to them just how stupid I really am.
Oh joy.

Have a Happy Christmas!

Hey guess what...I'm spending Christmas is Ireland.
Weird, eh??
I mean really. Who would've thought at the beginning of this year that I would end up here.
Not me.
Cool.


ps. Yes I'm really tired.

Musical Musings

So whilst enjoying my guilt-free internet time today, I discovered 2 things that make me happy.
Amanda Falk has a new album out, and Leeland has one coming out. That is very exciting because I have each of their debut albums and love them to bits. I've been listening to them nonstop since I got them over a year ago now I think, and I'm still not sick of them. Which is more than I can say of most my music. I'm sick of all of it right now (except those 2 of course!).
In honor of the Christmas season, I am enjoying a borrowed Christmas CD- "Christmas with Frank and Bing". You all should know I'm a huge sucker for the old Big Band era music...it delights my heart like none other. I don't know if its because it reminds my subconscious of classic Disney movies I watched as a child, or because I am a particularly nostalgic person, or what. I just like it. A lot. Especially the cheesy bird singing along in one of them.

On the Go

Its been nearly non-stop madness since Thursday, and I'm expecting the exhaustion to set in probably on Christmas day. When the Sunday School Christmas service is over (Sunday afternoon) I will probably crash. But I'm volunteering Christmas Eve, and climbing the Galtee Mountains on Boxing Day (they call is St. Steven's Day, here) and then probably busing up North on the 27th. I'm tired just thinking about it!
The kids, and teens' nights went really well, and they were very fun.
My gingerbread didn't really turn out. And Ps. I bet you didn't know that molasses is nearly unheard of here. 99.9% of the population have no idea what it is. WEIRD. I had quite a time tracking it down in the grocery store. I got a lot of blank stares and furrowed brows. They also have very few candycanes (I haven't seen any, but I'm told they are around...), and someone asked me what eggnog was. THEY DON'T HAVE EGGNOG HERE!!! How am I to survive without eggnog?! So think of me whenever you sip that heavenly drink, and I shall live vicariously through you.
They DO have lots of mince pies, Christmas cake (fruitcake), and an apple cider-y kind of drink called wassail (I think that's how its spelled). Its yummy.
I went to a live concert band Sunday night and they played lots of movie themes and even a Disney medley that absolutely made my day.
I volunteered again yesterday and that was fun. A girl around 24 works there and we had fun chatting and stuff. I even got invited to a Christmas party by her friend that came in, and I really want to go, but I already said I would be somewhere else at that time, so that sucks :(
That's all my fried little brain can think of to say right now. If I remember something else of note, I'll be sure to put it down.

Detox

Well now, I gotta say. I think it is actually possible to be addicted to the internet.
I think that if I wasn't so fantastically busy this week, I would have been curled up in a corner of my room, twitching, and beadily eying my laptop.
But I made it. Plus a day.
I'm still alive, and have at least a little faith in the fact that there might yet be a speck of self-control somewhere in my being.
And it was actually a really good week. Very busy, but good. I got stuff done that I can say with almost certainty I would NOT have got done if I had not limited my internet time. So I know it was a "God thing" that I read that quote last week, and decided to do something about it.
Also, I already feel more a part of the church community here, more "present" if you will.
Having said that, it was a struggle. I had to think of my alloted "internet day" as expendable. I had to give up doing it on Monday and almost gave up today as well, but in the end that didn't work out anyway (thank goodness!!). I still have a long way to go. Now the challenge will be not making this day the "center" of my week. You know...the endless cycle of "getting through the week" for that one day.

A few "firsts" this week:

1. First rhubarb yogurt. It was delightful! Really, it was.
2. First time being introduced to someone while they are in their underpants. Long story short, dropped by Christine's friends' house, and caught them...unprepared? The lady wasn't phased a bit. "She's Dutch" Christine says by way of explanation. I don't think she knows I'm 1/2 Dutch....though we are kind of a shameless lot.
3. First time creating a legit cappuccino. I spent yesterday volunteering at the Christian bookstore in Cork. They are also a cafe, so I worked in there. It was actually quite a lot of fun, but it will be a while before I remember how to make all those fancy coffees.

On Saturday a bunch of us from the church delivered calendars to nearly every house in Fermoy! These calendars are created by a guy in Cork who takes these awesome pictures of the area and then adds in Bible verses and information, and the end result is really quite nice. The church has made some contact with people through them in the past, so this will have been the 7th year they've put them out I think. The weather had been really stormy the day before, and there was some flooding in the Cork area, so we were a little worried about spending the day running around outside! It turned out to be nice...windy, but relatively mild and dry. I got a lot of exercise, and for the record Mom, I kept up with 10-yr-old Andrew and gave him a run of his money ;)
Saturday night was Teen's club, and we put the finishing touches on our craft, and prepared our "drama" presentations, a skit, and then a song with choreographed moves....GONG SHOW! haha...oh man. Long ago I came to terms with the fact that I can't sing or dance, but someone feels the need to rub it in my face! Haha...anyway, at least I'm at the back.

Last night was the Mom's & Tot's Christmas evening, and this week will be busy with the Kid's Club and Teen's presentations. I also have to prepare for the Sunday School Christmas Service on the 23. Phew.

So that's that. Anyway my cup of tea is getting cold (I'm quite an avid tea-drinker now, since the coffee is rubbish.)and I have many blogs to visit (and comment on *coughcough*) and some much-awaited Facebook-ing to do! I'm off.

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God for you."

-Jim Elliot

I noticed this quote on Caleigh's page whilst browsing blogs the other day.
It struck me, and kind of summed up a conviction I've been suppressing all week.
You may have noticed that I've been blogging a lot these past few days (read: month), as well as frequenting Facebook, and "catching up" on emails, etc.
Well, the fact is I might be living in Ireland, but Jill is still in Kamloops.
Let's face it- I was expecting everything to be miraculously different here. I was even (or is it 'especially'?) expecting ME to be different. I didn't realize that until it didn't happen! So suddenly I was here in Ireland -a dream come true...but I was still facing the same problems I had at home. What's the saying, "Wherever you go, there you are"?
I knew God was leading me to Ireland and as much as I did already want to come, it was a huge step for me to come as a youth leader. Its definitely not in my comfort zone, but with God working out every detail for me to come, I figured it would work itself out when I got here.
This past month has been really hard. My failings, inadequacies, and insecurities have been glaringly obvious to me at every turn. It has seemed like God dropped me off at the airport and then flew back to Canada.
At first I was ok, because I was so busy I hardly had time to think. As I settled into Fermoy and my schedule slackened, I've become bored and lonely.
Not exactly what I was hoping my experience in Ireland would be!
With all this spare time, I typically was drawn to email, blogs, facebook, etc.
It fulfilled my needs: it can soak up hours and hours, and I was in contact with friends!
So especially this past week I have spent far too much time on the internet,and far too little time experiencing this amazing opportunity I have here! When people ask me What did I see in Ireland? I don't want to have to answer... "Uh...my computer screen."
So the point in all of this is maybe not so drastic as you might be expecting- I'm not deleting my blog. I really do enjoy blogging, and I find it worthwhile. However, from here on in, I'm restricting my internet time. One day a week. If I spend all day on it, that would be kind of extreme, but at least it will only be one day, as opposed to every day :S
I just want you all to know it's not because I don't want to keep in touch! I love hearing how things are going over there, and I think we can still achieve that in my once-a-week goal.

You're probably all thinking, "Took her long enough" :P

And you'd be right. It did.

And logging on every day will be a tough habit to kick, especially when I am bored or lonely. But this is the only way I can force myself to get out more and LIVE here in Ireland. I'm sick of this "Neither Here Nor There" existence.

So I need your help.

If you see that I've been on more than once in a week, give me a really, REALLY, hard time!
I'll aim to be back on Monday....so, see you then! I'm going to attempt "living to the hilt" of this God-given opportunity!

More of This 'n That...

Shoo Fly

I had been invaded by flies. Sometime last week I noticed one buzzing around and was like, "Hm, that's weird." The next morning there were like 10 of them in my bathroom! I think they are getting in through this fan/vent thing in above the bathroom sink but they are really annoying, especially because they are HUGE (and strangely plump) little pests and they like to clumsily bump into me and are attracted to my bedside light. I've been killing them off when I can.

Scarf Is Such A Weird Word


I finished my first knitting project today! Tassles and all. Though maybe not the best quality knitting in the land, it is splendidly warm. And I intend to improve.



Lastly (and there is no picture accompaniment)...
I think you all should know that Sweet Chili Sauce is one of the greatest inventions in the world! Especially when coupled with chicken and rice!!! YUM!

Sunday School with Jill

I used to be so organized. And tidy. And conscientious.
I don't know what happened, or why, or when I began to get so scatterbrained!
Maybe there is something in the air on Quadra Island (possibly the fumes of that funny smelling stuff all the hippies smoke?) that got into my head and made me waaaaay too laid back for my own good. Seriously. I used to get so uptight and stressed about things, and lately even if it is important I just kind of shrug, "Whatever".
On one hand I like it because I never get too worried about stuff, on the other I think maybe I'm too easy-going and just getting lazy...
Sunday School for instance. This morning was my first time doing Sunday School alone. I'd stayed in a couple weeks ago to see how it was done, but with 10-15 kids crammed into a tiny little portable classroom I think I was more just overwhelmed!
So I knew about four weeks ago that today would be "my turn", and I had all week to prepare.
But I thought, "How hard can it be. I'll just flip through it on Saturday." And I did.
I cracked open the workbooks and teachers manual last night. There were a couple different ones to choose from for the different ages, so I just picked one I liked, read the passage, jotted down a couple notes that didn't really make any sense whatsoever, prepped the "visual learning aid" or whatever it's called, and decided to run to the store to nab some cookies aka "Manna from Heaven" for the kids. How terrible is that?
So this morning there were 2 kids in Sunday School. A brother and sister.
I was like, "Oh no. How am I going to drag out this lesson?!" I was kind of counting on a lot of mass chaos to fill in the time.
So bracing myself for an excruciating 45 minutes, I led them into the Sunday School room.
I got the Kerry (the older of the two) to read some of the verses and then we talked about them and then read some more and talked about them a little more, then had some chocolate-covered manna from heaven (a big hit with Lee), and then they did their workbooks while we talked about their new guinea pigs. And it was actually pretty fun!
Their mom had invited me to come back to their house for lunch, so I spent a good portion of the day with their family and the kids just chatted away and showed me their guinea pigs Toffee and Rollo. Driving me home, Christine, their mom, said she had rarely seen Lee so talkative, especially with a "stranger"! (I think the 'manna' won him over)
So even though the Sunday School lesson was perhaps under-prepared and super laid back I feel I've made some progress in a sense.

But I'm not sure the same approach will work for the Family Service I have to lead on the 23rd...!

December

I can hardly believe it is December already!
Commercial Christmas is in full swing here, as I'm sure it is in Canada. As usual, my Christmas shopping is incomplete and disorganized. I'm not really sure who I should buy for and whatnot, so I may just stock up on chocolate and that way if I discover that I've bought too many they won't go to waste...well, I supposed it depends on how you look at it.
Baking has been on my mind lately. After doing SO MUCH of it from March-August I guess I needed a little break, but now I'm ready to get back at it. Also, I discovered that no one makes gingerbread people or houses for Christmas here and that just didn't sit well...so the girl's and I are having a gingerbread-making day sometime this week. And I will also be doing some for the Teen's club. Just bringing a lil' Canadian flavor in :D
I'm almost finished my scarf, and its going to be such a delight on cold winter nights. Its very thick and warm! I also bought some more wool and I'm going to attempt a tuque. If its good enough I'll give it away, since I have way too many hats already! (everyone here mocks me abut having a different hat for every day of the week...which is untrue, by the way...)
For some reason I've also really been wanting to learn guitar. Sam has one, so maybe he will let me use it and I can teach myself some basic chords and stuff...
These next few weeks will be fairly busy for me with preparation for the Kid's Club, Teen's Club, Sunday School, and Mothers&Toddler's Christmas Presentations!
Thankfully they will all be finished by the 17th, so the madness won't extend past there!
I also went to Cork yesterday and chatted with the girl at the Christian Bookstore there about volunteering once a week. So I'll probably get into that as soon as I can.
No one is expecting snow at all really. This winter has been exceptionally mild apparently, so I will experience an honest-to-goodness GREEN Christmas! And wow, the green is really amazing.
I'm not sure what my exact timeline over Christmas will be. I think there is a service at the church on Christmas, but after that I will be joining Sam and Karen to visit their family in the North. I think. Haha...I'm so bad at planning. I literally do things one day at a time. And I can never remember what I did before. Like it was just deleted from my memory. Sad.
Anyway, that is what my December looks like thus far.
All you NaBoPoMo-ers get a good rest and then get back to bloggin' because I like to see what you're all up to!

New Look

I don't know why I changed by blog.
I started fiddling with my banner again, finally figured it out, and decided on a different picture.
One thing led to another...
And I was really tired of my old template. It was time for a change.
So here we are.
PJ looks more mature now I think, which is fitting as it has passed the one year mark.
Also I am in a very "melancholic" mood. Not sad or anything. Just...hmmm...I don't know. But I feel more at home in this toned down color-scheme. It fits me better right now.
So that's that.

This 'n That...

Here is my "mobile"--

My knitting project--And the update on my latest exploration--

A Taste of Ireland

Haha...that is totally misleading.
These cookies are probably eaten everywhere. You may have created them already at some point. However...
The other day I baked some "biscuits" (the supply was running low, since we each have at least one a day when we have tea). Its a nice recipe that I got from a local lady. Nothing fancy, but good for dipping in a hot drink.

Irish Tea Biscuits
2 oz butter
2 oz margarine
2 tbl Golden Syrup
1 tsp bread soda (dissolved in 1 tsp water)

1 cup plain flour (I usually add more)
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
The recipe calls for a tsp of salt, but I would recommend only a pinch of salt.

Melt butter, margarine, golden syrup, and bread soda in a saucepan (NOT in the microwave!). In a bowl mix dry ingredients. (The breadsoda has a very strong flavor so I find I like it better with only a very, very, very little bit of salt, or none at all if you prefer). Add melted ingredients and stir until mixed. If it is really goopy, add more flour. That's what I did. Roll into into balls about the size of a loonie and place on greased pan. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. When cooled, serve with tea, and dip!

Three Reasons I Shouldn't Be Allowed...

To live on my own:

1. Eating out at places called "The Humble Spud" sounds SOO much more appealing than cooking for myself!
2. I might have died, cold and wet, trapped in my shower when the door sealed shut and no matter how much I pushed it wouldn't open.
3. I lost my house key within 48 hours of receiving it.

I'm surprised really, that anyone has ever taken me seriously after all the ditzy-ness I come up with! After all the embarrassing and stupid things I've done, its a wonder that I've survived to be 19. Much less that I've somehow managed to travel across the world, and live on my own...

That's right folks...this weekend I moved out!

I'm living in a little boarding house on the main stretch of road through Fermoy (I'll put a picture up later...for now, here is my room). I have a nice bedroom & ensuite to myself, and I share a living room and kitchen with the other boarders. There are 3 single boarders upstairs, and a Polish couple living in the suite down the hall from me. I haven't seen any of them yet, as I am home most mornings, and out most nights...the opposite of their hours I guess. I've heard evidence of the Poles though...loud Polish techno, and some Nelly Furtado :P
It sounds like people are always coming and going, and they are all "foreign" like me, so who knows- if I ever meet them face-to-face I might make some travel buddies!
So far independence suits me pretty well, even dealing with the little disasters like getting trapped in the shower! :P
I did my first big Grocery Shop today, and it was kind of fun. I tried to get practical, healthy things, but I did succumb to buying nacho chips and hummus. It could be worse.
Also I FINALLY got my whole laptop fiasco sorted. I think/hope. First I had the wrong converter. So I bought a new one. Then it was no internet, and I got my wireless thing. Then my converter died. So I bought a new one. Then that one died. So I returned it. That was last week. Today I went to the computer place and a nice Canadian guy (ahhh, the sweet North American accent....never thought I'd say that.) told me all I needed was this wire with a different plug end on it. So that is what I have now, and it seems to be working just fine. So hopefully my technology troubles are over!!! I'm back in action :) So hopefully I can catch up on emails/facebook this week!!

I'll be working on my huge Sunday School projects as well, and doing the usual stuff...also going on some more walks, hopefully to a place called Glenabough Forest. Sounds nice. So that's me.

Here's the rest of the stories:

1. The Humble Spud has appealed to me from the moment I laid eyes on its vintage little sign. Today I stopped in after grocery shopping, and I did eat a chicken burger there. It was good. But the cashier was grumpy...so its a toss-up. I might go back, or I might make myself some rice with sweet n' sour chicken.
2. After about 10 minutes of alternate hysterical laughing and panic, wondering if I was ever going to get out, or if I would be found dead, sprawled on the shower floor in a week, I pulled at the rubbery siding thing in the middle of the shower door, and it popped open. I don't think I will ever be brave enough to close it all the way again...
3. There I was standing at my door with a huge bag of groceries, my shoulder bag of misc. items, and my purse, going through them all a million times thinking "OH NO! How am I going to tell her that I lost my keys already?!", and after standing around like a fool for 5 minutes, I remembered I had put it in my wallet. Yay.

"Cultured"

I went to a ballet tonight.
I now consider myself very sophisticated.
Except, to be honest, I was nearly bored to tears.
If I hadn't had a crinkly bag of crinkly individually wrapped toffees to keep me company, I would have been in a sad state indeed...
I don't know if that is very sophisticated of me.

I was kindly invited to enjoy this evening at the Cork Opera House by one of the ladies in the church and her daughter, who is an aspiring ballerina. The production was called "Giselle", and as far as I could tell it was about a young girl who fell in love with a prince who was masquerading as a commoner. He wooed her until a rival exposed him, and it was discovered he was already betrothed to be married to a wealthy noblewoman. Giselle died of a broken heart, and that was the end of Part I.
Part II was all white-clad spirit girls dancing, and Handsome Prince having a final dance with Spirit Giselle.
It was about 2 1/2 hours including the intermission.
The dancing was impressive for sure, but I guess I'm just not "cultured" enough to fully appreciate ballet for that length of time!
Though I do think I would like to see The Nutcracker...at least then I would enjoy the music, if nothing else!
Anyway, now I can say I've been to a ballet.
Opera is next on my list :)



EDIT: can anyone tell me the significance of today's date? I'll be very impressed...

Separated by a Common Language

I made the unforgivable mistake of calling many departments stores combined in one building a "mall" today.
My wee Irish friend Miryam severely corrected me, after laughing incredulously at my ignorant American-ness, and letting her whole family in on the joke.
Apparently there are no MALLS in Ireland. There are SHOPPING CENTERS.
A MALL is "Very American".

(I've probably already listed these, but bear with me...)

I now call cookies "Biscuits", french fries are "chips", potato chips are "crisps", highways are "motorways", line-ups are "queues", garbage is "rubbish", hoodies are "jumpers", pants are "trousers", a pick-up truck is a "lorry", mail is "post", a cell phone is a "mobile"...the list is endless, and I have to give constant thought to my sentences so that I can communicate efficiently! (And they wonder why I'm so quiet...)

Today's Accomplishments

While you all are probably just opening your sleepy little eyelids, it is 3:30PM here and I have already accomplished much.
1. I went for a 2 hour walk around the town, exploring and buying things.
2. I went to a little Irish "delicatessen" thing and saw that they sold "homemade croquettes" and though *YUM!*, so I bought them. I should have guessed that they would not be the scrumptious meaty (and salty haha) Dutch-style croquettes I know and love...they are instead filled with mashed potato!! They were actually really good, but the first bite WAS a little disapointing because I was expecting something else.
3. I bought a little wireless thingy for my computer as my big brother Paul advised last night, and now I have the internet on my laptop! Hurrah!!!
4. I have put up a bunch of pictures on my facebook! So hurry and go look 'cause there's a few gooders.
I accomplished more than that too, of course... :P

I Got it Up!

A Rainy Walk Through Irish Countryside...

Narrow country roads...seaside villages...rolling green hills...misty cliffs...
Nothing quite like telephone lines to ruin magical scenery :P

Caught in torrential rain!

Experimenting with the focus on my camera.

Soaked.
Beautiful sunset.

Nearly back.


It took me the better part of an hour to get these up. So you'd better appreciate them :P

A Few Pictures

Yay! I got some pictures on here...see, I'm stubborn and I tried again, even though the internet is being mean to me and frequently disconnecting. Unfortunately I don't have my Giant's Causeway pictures on this computer (Sam's), which is really too bad because they are my favorites. But I will do my best to put them up when I get settled into my own place.

Ahh, the rugged beauty of Northern Ireland!!
This was taken in Portrush.

This picture was taken in Portrush too...its not very interesting...I thought it was a different one! haha!

This was the house we stayed in during the MAD weekend, with all the youth. It was out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by farms, and sheep, and rolling green hills....

I went out for a long walk and took a lot of pictures, and even got caught in some intense rain!

This is the little town of Ballycastle, in Northern Ireland. A lot of Sam's family live here, so we visited them during my time in Antrim. It was absolutely gorgeous there! I loved how the houses were built right to the edge of the peninsula. The scenery was gorgeous, because you could see misty cliffs in the distance in one direction, and Raithlin Island in another. The waves were huge that day, and it was windy. We would be walking along the beach and suddenly a wave would crash and sweep right in and I would be doing a little dance to keep just ahead of it so that my feet wouldn't get soaked!

There was this cool rock that had a face in it too, but I can't get any more pictures up right now. I don't even know if this post will work.