This is Why You Pray

On Tuesday Matt and I had big plans to tour the Mitchelstown Caves, then head up to Cashel to see the sights there, which included museums, historical walks, and of course, the famous Rock of Cashel (which is in fact an ancient castle/cathedral type ruin). We pored over our guidebooks (if you want to know, "Let's Go: Ireland on a budget" *Matt's* is waaaay better than "The Unofficial Guide to Ireland" *Mine*) and struggled with the bus routes and times the night before. We figured we had it planned quite well, and walked down to the bus stop for the 9:55 AM bus Tuesday morning. I even called the caves ahead of time to make sure they were open. I was feeling very confident and pleased with the touristy day ahead of me.

Unfortunately our bus didn't arrive until around 10:30 (I think...?) and the bus driver charged me for 2 tickets instead of one, so things got off to a rough start. Not only that but the driver seemed new and I wasn't sure he knew his route, so I was paranoid he wouldn't stop at the caves since it wasn't an official stop. I was very relieved when he pulled over on the main highway (motorway) and dropped us off across from a clearly marked "Mitchelstown Caves 3km" sign.

The weather was gorgeous! For the first time in weeks, it felt like a proper warm spring day! Beautiful.
The road we walked along was quite a peaceful and picturesque country lane, with the Knockmealdown mountains ahead of us and the Galtees behind. It wasn't long before we came to an intersection in Burncourt with more signs, one indicating we had 1.5 km to go. Not so bad.
When we arrived at 12 pm we bought our tickets from the elderly woman in the house, and waited for the next tour to start at 12:30.
Since the weather was so nice we didn't mind, and whittled time away sitting at one of the little picnic tables situated outside near the surprisingly large paved parking lot. I wasn't expecting a parking lot at all to be honest, since the caves are privately owned and operated by the family.
Nevertheless, it seems to be a popular spot since it wasn't long before a variety of other tourists arrived, including very typical American family, and three non-English speaking, non-smiling, French tourists. Despite my losing our tickets five minutes before the tour began, and then finding them again, we DID finally get to enter the cave, and we had a pretty sweet Irish guide that was pretty funny and enthusiastic.
There was a no photography policy which SUCKED because the caves were suuuper cool! Really amazing. Right from the beginning it was fun because the stairs were really steep going down, and everything was wet and dripping and warm (12 degrees all year round, which was warmer than outside!) and the ceiling was low, which was ok for people of my stature, I only had to bend my neck a little. I felt sorry for anyone taller. The guide told us how a farmer by the name of Michael Condon discovered the cave 170 years ago when he was mining for limestone. He dropped his axe and it fell into the cave. Farmer Condon proceeded to explore the cave by candlelight. (I can't imagine doing that. I think I would wet myself)
Essentially the caves haven't changed since then. They have installed some concrete steps and rails, and lights, but the actual cave shape is the same. And its huge! The caverns were enormous! We only saw a small portion of it as well. Off limits there was one tunnel that came to an underground lake, and a opening with a 20 foot drop, and one or two other parts as well.
The formations inside the cave were absolutely amazing! Not so much the stalactites and stalagmites ...I'd seen bigger and better ones in the Guatemala caves...but the ripply "ribbon" formations and strange shapes and "faces" in some of them were really cool! There were even crystal bits in some, and we even saw a fossil of a coral on the cave wall! It was so neat! Apparently in the next couple years they will open up two more caverns to the public.
Anyway, Matt and I were pretty pleased with our well-spent 7 Euro, and feeling very positive, we weren't too concerned about the minor detail that we didn't know where to catch the bus to get to Cashel. That was mistake #1.
"Let's head to Kilbehenny," we thought. "It's only 2.-something km, and its a town so a bus is sure to stop." So we started walking in the opposite direction we came from.
Oh foolish young mortals.
That was BIG mistake #2.
We walked and walked and walked and walked.
The distance seemed longer going this way. Maybe its just because we knew time was running away on us. It was 1:35 PM when we got out of the cave, and we had sort of wanted to be IN Cashel at that time. Not walking down a very, very, quiet country road towards a small town hoping to catch a bus that MIGHT pass by.
After a very long time, we emerged on the side of the highway. It didn't look to much like a town as...the side of a highway. So we headed to the nearby Gas (Petrol) Station and asked how far it was to the nearest bus stop.
3 STINKIN' MILES.
What the heck?! So pretty much we would have been better off if we had gone back the way we came after the cave tour. Darn.
Anyway, we didn't waste time crying over spilled milk, so we started walking on the side of the highway. Which I hate. Because the cars go so freakin' fast. After walking for what seemed like infinity hours, with people staring at us because we are crazy for walking this way when there is nothing for miles, we came to an overpass under construction, and we didn't dare venture going through with all the big semi-trucks threatening to smush us against the concrete. So we crossed the highway to what looked like a side road that would lead us back on after the overpass. Needless to say...it didn't.
I won't say that going this way was Mistake #3 though, because I think going under the overpass would have been the Final Mistake Of Our Lives.
It was probably around 2:30 around this time I think. The road ended up leading us away from the highway and back into the countryside.
It was very...peaceful. And frustrating.
Eventually we arrived back at a familiar intersection. So we went back to our original bus drop off point. Thinking, hoping, praying, that maybe the bus would pick us up.
Actually I was having an ongoing one-way conversation with God for most of the afternoon. It consisted of,
Thanks for the great weather God, because this would have been pretty bad if it was raining, but honestly it would be really nice if you could send someone to offer us a ride to the next bus stop. Or even better..Cahir. And if you were feeling really generous they would be heading to Cashel. That would be really awesome. And maybe they could be...um...Christian, cause that would make me feel more comfortable. Please? Because I'm getting pretty hungry and tired, and we really wanted to see Cashel today, and this is kind of ridiculous. And it will be scary if it gets dark. I could call someone but I would feel stupid, and its the Easter Break and I don't want to disturb them. PLEASE GOD SEND US A WAY HOME!!!
We arrived at the place the bus dropped us off and traffic was heavy, and no one was likely to stop to offer us a lift, and technically it would be illegal for us to hitchhike there anyway. So we just kind of stood there despondently, looking sad and hoping the bus would come by soon.
It did.
But it didn't stop despite the frantic and idiotic waving of my arms. (Thanks for backing me up there by the way Matt...:P)
After that it was major decision time. We had a few options.
1. Hijack a car merging onto the highway.
Neither of us are comfortable driving standard transmission. Next?
2. Bust out the puppy eyes.
I tried. Didn't work.
3. Walk.
Oi, my aching bones! Its a LONG ways to the next town.
4. Call someone from Fermoy.
I reeeeeeallly don't want tooooo.....
C'mon God! I prayed. We really need a ride. Please.
Would you believe that just at that moment a big truck pulled over right in front of us?
And would you believe that it was Peter, someone I knew from church in Fermoy?
And Would you believe that he was headed to Cashel?
I didn't believe it at first either.
But he was.
God is so good.
Peter dropped us off on Cashel's main street and we walked to the Rock and spent an hour or so taking pictures.



Peter then picked us up and drove us back to Fermoy. We stopped by the Happy Chan chinese takeout, and stumbled home, completely wrecked. I fell asleep around 5 or 6 pm in my clothes, and didn't wake up until 7am the next morning!Anyway the important thing is that we got to Cashel and took lots of pictures.
Haha! Just kidding.
The important thing is that we survived. And took lots of pictures.
And there were valuable lessons learned. Such as plan the details. Bring a snack and water. Make sure your phone is charged, you have extra camera batteries and memory chip, have cash, and don't forget to pray and expect an answer.
And if you ever get the urge to pray for me, please don't ignore it... :)

Irish Aspirations Acheived

Last year's St. Patrick's was an Irish Experience to be sure, but this year is probably as Irish a St. Patrick's Day as I'm likely to experience ever!

Despite the combined Canadian-ness of myself and Matt (who stopped in for a visit this week, during his tour of Europe) we enjoyed a thoroughly Irish parade in small-town Fermoy, which was surprisingly long! There were plenty of red leprechaun beards, tall green hats, and shamrocks to go around! I felt especially Irish when I could pick quite a few people out of the parade that I knew, and waved or chatted to others in the crowd!(One of the girls from our Teens Club)

Afterwards Matt and I popped into "Charlie Browne's" for some free Irish Stew, and yes...I tried my first Guinness!!!
The adventures continued yesterday, but I'll do a special post on that later...

I Am Alive

Sorry the blogging has slowed down this past week, its been busy and I guess I just haven't been in the mood. Sam and Karen have come and gone, so the house is now empty and...mine. Sort of.
This weekend the entire youth group is coming over for an all-nighter, so that should be an adventure! Then its Patrick's Day, and I have the next 2 weeks free of commitments so I might take a bus somewhere new and exciting.
Then its back to the grindstone.
Anyway I must go vacuum the floors now. Moving is a messy business.

A Walk in Killworth

Welcome to another stroll through Irish countryside. Today we are going to Killworth, a small area about five miles out of Fermoy. The village is not much more than a few corner stores, a church, and a school. Killworth is mainly considered "country living"; there are a lot of little farms and such. We're going out of the main way, onto a little trail. Meet your tour guide, Jill. A wee Canadian lass, that looks not more than five years old judging from that lovely picture.

Luckily she has a more experienced partner, here. I think we've see him before...Ahh, take a look at that quaint old bridge we've just crossed. A truly picturesque bit of stone and moss.

The forest is very quiet except for the burbling brook. The weather is typically undecided. One minute we are basking in sunny rays, but the next we're zipping up our coats and squinting at foreboding dark clouds. And then then sun shines again. And then you feel tiny spits of rain coating your cheeks and eyelashes. Sigh.

Hold on everybody! Get a good look at your very first ever, real Irish shamrock in it's natural habitat!

Now we're coming up to another bridge. Be careful, its a little slippery. That's right, pull out those tourist cameras and try and get some artsy shots. There's really no one around to laugh at you.

Right- here's a bit of Irish flora. I can't remember what its called but I'm sure your very knowledgeable guide can inform you. She's really good at remembering those sorts of facts. Thanks for joining us on this little walk. It's been a true delight.

I Will Write More Later...Maybe

Here are the pronunciations:

Girls--

1. Áine..............AHN-ya.....Irish form of "Anna"
2. Aoibheann.........eev-AHN....Irish form of "Evanne"
3. Aoife.............EEF-ah.....Irish form of "Eve"
4. Aisling...........ASH-ling
5. Bríghde...........BREE-da
6. Caoimhe...........KWEE-va
7. Clodagh...........KLO-da
8. Deirdre...........DEER-dra
9. Dunfhlaith........DUN-a-la
10. Eithne...........ENYA
11. Sinéad...........shin-ADE
12. Órlaith..........OR-la
13. Niamh............NEEV
14. Gráinne..........GRON-ya
15. Sorcha...........SOR-a-ka

Boys--

1. Eóin.............EE-in.....Irish form of "Ian"
2. Fiachra..........FARE-kra
3. Fionnbharr.......FIN-var
4. Somhairle........SORE-lee

Dia Guit!

One thing I didn't know about Ireland (Republic) when I arrived is that is technically a bilingual country, just like Canada. Only with Irish, instead of French.
I didn't even realize that Irish was actually a real language (as opposed to a fake one? hmmm...)
While it is only predominantly spoken in small areas of the South, there are Irish speaking schools, an Irish TV channel, and Irish translations written on road signs etc. It is a required subject in all schools (as is Irish dancing!), but most kids hate it and forget it as soon as they've learned it...sort of like how I treated French.
To be honest, Irish is not a particularly beautiful sounding language when spoken, but I am kind of fascinated with it. The spellings and pronunciations are very weird! I especially love old Irish names, a few of which I've had to become familiar with because they are still very popular here! Names that we would think are normal, like Sarah, Amber, Matthew, or Josh, are not quite as common, whereas I know dozens of Niamh's, Padraig's, and Siobhan's!
Try and see if you can pronounce these names properly. Some will be names that have alternate English spellings, and you would be familiar with. Some are just strange.

Girls--

1. Áine
2. Aoibheann
3. Aoife
4. Aisling
5. Bríghde
6. Caoimhe
7. Clodagh
8. Deirdre
9. Dunfhlaith **
10. Eithne
11. Sinéad
12. Órlaith
13. Niamh
14. Gráinne
15. Sorcha

Boys--

1. Eóin
2. Fiachra
3. Fionnbharr
4. Somhairle

For the most part, male names are easy to spell and pronounce. Most people don't have to guess at Seamus, Cormac, Eamon, Donal, and Connor.
And want to know something exciting? I cheated a little bit to make sure I got spellings right...that's not the exciting part. This is: I found "Coulter" listed under the boy's names. I guess I am Irish somewhere way back on the paternal side!

** this name I put in just to be nasty.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope your heart skipped beat, and you thought to yourself, "Oh no! I missed Mother's Day!"
Because I'm just evil that way.
Fact is, you have until May for Mother's Day.
BUT-- it is Mother's Day today, in Ireland.
Or, "Mothering Sunday" as they call it.
I don't know why they celebrate it on a different day, but they do.

Coming up on PJ this week:

More Irish-isms.

I Have Sinned*

We ordered in pizza during our teens club tonight, and it all went innocently enough until they started passing out ice cream bars.
Without thinking I accepted mine and began to taste...
I was in the middle of a conversation.
Not realizing what I had done.
Suddenly Emma pipes up,
"Didn't you give up chocolate for lent?"
My eyes widen, I drop the treat like a hot coal.
The ice cream is encrusted with lovely dark chocolate.
I have tasted the forbidden fruit.
How did this happen?!
But it is too late, the deed is done.
I hang my head in shame.


True story.

By the way, it was only a nibble, and I didn't finish it off. Because I still fully intend to go all the way until Easter. Following the spirit, if not the letter of the law :P
*I don't think it actually qualifies as a sin anyway.

Bringing Blogging Back

That title makes me snicker, and I wish I had a post good enough for it.
But I don't.
I contemplated saving it for later when I could write something witty and noteworthy to complement it, but alas...I'm just gonna say, I tried to not blog for a week just to see if I could, but I gave in yesterday because it was a leap year post and that doesn't happen every year.
So I'm back, and realized that I made a resolution about limiting my internet time in December that has completely dissolved into absolute nothingness.
How sad.
My self-control is so...non-existent.
I start off well, but my ability to maintain my resolutions is lacking. Unless its really short term. Like not eating chocolate for 40 days (oh, that word!!! Where's my Gold biscuit???)
Munch Munch Munch.
Now what was I saying? Oh yeah, self-control.
I don't have it.
Another thing I've learned about myself is that I am not organized, and if I am left to my own devices I do things at the last possible moment, which isn't always a good idea because I tend to get stressed and it might not turn out so well. I do NOT like deadlines, but they do help me.
But there are good things about me too...like...I'm tidy.
Wait, no I'm not.
But I feel the need for things to be tidy, so it does get done, I'm just not a tidy-as-you-go kind of person. I'm a tidy-after-the-house-becomes-a-disaster kind of person.
Its always nice to be able to see big results, right?
So this post is getting nowhere fast, but I'm just doing a good ol' blog binge, ok? I've been deprived this week. Bear with me.
I made muffins again yesterday...blueberry this time. They were good. I think there's like...2 left.

I've also been experimenting with my camera's "manual" option because I really want to get better at photography, but I just can't seem to figure it out.

I finished this book today.
Its a fictional biography of Jane Austen's life, and it was really good! I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, because I live in dread of those novels like "Jane Fairfax: the other side of the story" where the author has the audacity to think they can improve and expand Jane Austen's original works. This novel had only hints of the unbelievable in it, but for the most part it seemed very probable and Jane was very real. So if you're a fan, I would recommend it.
Anyway...you probably can't tell from this post, but this has not been a really great week for me. Last Sunday I started coming down with ANOTHER cold (different kind though)so I stayed home Monday, was nearly all better by Tuesday, and then yesterday it made a vicious reappearance. I've also felt stressed about a few different things, and very out-of-sorts. Hopefully the dark mood that plagues me will blow away soon.
In the meantime...more pictures!

Sheep by the road, taken on my walk last LAST Friday...its Lamb season!! Hurray!!

"Labbacallee" -- Monolithic Monument. Basically an ancient tomb; Standing Stones. Took me about an hour to walk out to it.

Snowdrops besides the stones.

"Max"
I went out to Ballycotton last Sunday with Peter & Margaret (she's a photographer, and I, her humble apprentice) and their dog. It was the most perfect Irish fishing village my imagination could hope for. But we only drove through it to get to the beach, so I couldn't snap any shots. Too bad!

Anyway, I should go. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings.

Happy Leap Year

Do you know anyone who has a birthday today?
I don't, but if I did I would probably be buying them a lame "Happy 3rd Birthday!" card, or something.

Have I Mentioned Recently That...

I hate Openoffice Draw?
That every time I use it I actually scream out loud?
That it is the worst program imaginable for creating anything original?
That I always end up hitting my computer when Openoffice is in use?
That I wish it was alive so that I could kill it?
That I rue the day that it replaced Microsoft Publisher on my hard drive?
That is the only thing I can use to prepare the craft for tomorrow morning?

Mmmm...Muffins!

I like to bake sometimes, so here is a recipe I tried out yesterday. Its a pretty healthy muffin, sweetened with molasses not sugar, so it might not be for everyone.
I really liked it, and found that it is nice to eat just plain without butter too.

Molasses Raisin Bran Muffins

(12 servings)

* 2 cups Rasin Bran - lightly crushed (I only had plain bran cereal, so I threw in a handful of mixed dried fruit)
* 1 and 1/4 cups low-fat milk
* 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat and it turned out good)
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1 large egg - lightly beaten
* 2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
* 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare 12 muffin cups with muffin papers or a light coating of cooking spray.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the milk, molasses, beaten egg and oil.

Add wet ingredients and crushed cereal to the dry ingredients. Mix until just moistened.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full of batter.

Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Thanks to Mr. Breakfast for this recipe!

The Chocolate Fast

I am just over 2 weeks into my chocolate fast.
I don't know why they call it a "fast" because it goes really slow.
Anyway, I am still chocolate-free but there have definitely been moments of temptation.
Like last night. After Bible Study (which takes place here in the "manse") I was cleaning up the tea and biscuits and then it struck.
I was alone in the kitchen, everyone had gone...and there were these chocolate biscuits staring me down.
The glorious cocoa aroma wafted to my nostrils. It had been so long since I'd been able to pair the taste to the smell...
Eat us...eeeeat us...
They chanted.
There's only two of them. I thought. Nobody would know...
I'm sure you will all be very proud to know that that is as far as it got. Breaking free of their mind-tricks, I locked those villainous, albeit probably very tasty, biscuits into their cookie jar, and walked away.
In other news, it was my own Mother's brilliant idea to "replace" chocolate with something.
I am pleased to introduce to you to GOLD!

I've never seen Gold in Canada, but who knows it might be available there. Gold has served as my "patch", if you will. Its caramel coated biscuity-ness soothes the chocolate cravings because the textures are so similar.
The real secret to my success :P

Slightly Disappointing...

So Karissa is coming up to see me in June, and we were planning on hopping on a bus tour that would take us through Wales, England, and Scotland with really reasonable rates. Every time I looked at the overview of it I patted myself on the back and thought to myself, "You did well finding this tour Jill...you Bargain Master, you."
We were going to cover a lot of ground over 12 days and stay in a castle for a night...the works. It was going to be fantastic!
Last night I was checking over some stuff on one of the connected sites and noticed something strange...

"The UKI Combination Tours will not be running in the foreseeable future."

eh?
I emailed the contact address, and sure enough I got something back this morning.
Its a no-go.
Hmmm...
I'm sure filling a month with sight-seeing won't be hard to do. But I do want some variety, and getting around can be expensive. A sight I could do without seeing is a cardboard box called Home! :)

Lurker's Lurgy Part II

Can you believe how hard it is to find a picture of innocent-looking glowing eyes on google?
Maybe because lurking is sinister. You know me, but I don't know you.
Haha, ok, I'm done with the guilt-trip.
Because I've been lurking a lot lately, so I guess I'm one to talk.
Anyway its been brought to my attention that maybe some lurkers only lurk because they don't know how to de-lurk. (Ha! That was fun to say)
I am here to remedy that.
First of all, click on the comment link.
That's an important step.
This will bring you to a new *gasp* screen. Don't be frightened, its all part of the process. Also, don't be distracted by the other comments, if they exist. Yours will be appreciated even if it is only a reiteration of a previous note...though I'm sure you can come up with something interesting or witty of your own. I have faith in you.
Now type your clever comeback into the box under the sign "Leave a comment".
Then, choose an identity.
If you don't have a Blogger or other blog account (if you do, I'm assuming you know how to comment :P) you can click on the "Name/URL" option, or "Anonymous".
Please don't choose anonymous, there is no need to hide. We are all friends here.
Instead, I encourage you to choose "Name/URL". Type in your name, and you can leave the URL bit blank...it will still work.
And that my lurking friends, is how to comment. Now you have no excuses. HA!

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!!!