Mom's Meanderings

Wordless Wednesday :

2009-11-11T07:01:00.003+02:00

For more Wordless Wednesday posts go here and here

Follow me down the lane .....

2009-11-10T06:57:00.020+02:00

... through the blue gate into the restored Victorian Walled Garden of Kylemore Abbey ... (restoration began in 1996) ...

.. which is completely enclosed with brick and limestone wall

A stream divides the two halves of the garden ... the Flower Garden ...

... and the Kitchen Garden ..

... part of the Kitchen Garden as a section for herbs - medicinal, aromatic and culinary ..

Here is another part of the flower garden showing one of the two restored glasshouses, of which there were originally 21 ! Part of a wall of another being restored at present is seen at the bottom of pic ..

.. which were all heated by means of a limestone kiln underground and grids through which the heated air came through ..

Would have loved to have paged through these old gardening books ...

... which are on display in the restored Head Gardener's House ... seen on left with the blue 'brookie lace' gables and windows ....

Also shown in photo above is the restored Labourers' Bothy ... and below - the side door of the bothy ... note the well-worn step under the door ...

Broken clay pots next to the steps going down the limestone kiln ...

Beautiful trees shade another part of the garden which is filled with shade loving plants ...

.. and a bench or two ... to rest awhile ...

.. beside the trickling stream ...

.... where you can see the fluttering butterflies ...

... and catch the scent of fruit ripening on the plants trained against the surrounding walls ..

... and the rain-washed apples

Midday made it difficult for photos .. but it's a beautiful and interesting garden ! So glad you came with me ...

I am impressed !!

2009-11-09T07:33:00.003+02:00

These are most of the books we have for the littlies when they come to our house. These are the most read ones .. that's why they're on the floor in the lounge ready to be picked up and opened ...

... lots of new ones ... lots of older ones ..

... and lots of even older ones ....

The other afternoon, as like most summer afternoons, our ritual is to take a picnic rug onto the lawn under the shade of the trees, with a couple of books and some toys. Mainly books.
And then we read .. well, I read to Bradley and Connor.

Two different ages is making it tricky .. so we have to have turns !
Connor has a story read, then Bradley has his turn.

Sooo ... the other afternoon ... we sat on our picnic rug and Bradley read to me !! I was most impressed! I have heard him read words and short sentences but on this occasion he read the whole of The Three Billy Goats Gruff !!!

He struggled on the big words but I only had to tell him once and then he remembered. My children learnt to read by sounding out the letters to make up a word - these children are learning by sight of the entire word. Is that a good thing? I don't know, I'm not a teacher but surely you need to know how to spell the word, then say it.

I have many books like this one .. with repetitive sentences ... The Enormous Turnip, The Magic Porridge Pot, The Gingerbread Man, The Enormous Pancake, Chicken Licken etc etc and we read them all the time ... I have done with all my children.

I can read Chicken Licken with my eyes closed!!! Clever Granny !!!

Anyway ... the modern way is working and he read to me ... the whole story. He is in Grade 0!!

I was impressed!!

Weekly Winners : 1 - 7 Nov

2009-11-08T19:11:00.006+02:00

A B C ...

A is for animal .... (the camel's got boobies ! exclaimed Connor .. not sure whether he was impressed with the explanation of the desert and storage of water ... boobies seem more simple!)

B is for building ...

C is for Cat ...

D is for dog ...

E is for easy instructions .. (!)

F is for folds .. delicate and pink ...

G is for 'gonna be a big rose one day' ...

H is for 'hey... a 'thnake' !!!

For more Weekly Winners visit Lotus at sarcastic mom

Skywatch Friday :

2009-11-06T06:45:00.003+02:00

I found a rainbow for Nicole ...

Hubby and I had glorious weather while holidaying in Ireland recently so much so that this was the only rainbow we saw ....
... and I had to capture it for Nicole (our DIL) who was, at the time, very ill. She needed a little bit of luck - and lots of praying - to get her well again and she asked me 'kiss the Blarney Stone' and 'find the pot 'o gold at the end of a rainbow'.

We kissed the Blarney Stone (although now I know it's for 'eloquence' but we'll throw in luck here too!) ... and then we found the rainbow at Dungarvan, Co. Waterford while photographing the beautiful port with it's sculpture of a Viking ship's bow ..

Sorry ... Nicole ... just couldn't find that lil' pot 'o gold !!!! Searched .... and searched .... and searched ....
.. and by the way, she is well on the way to recovery !!

For more spectacular skies around the world visit Skywatch

I will let the photos 'do the talking' ..

2009-11-05T07:46:00.007+02:00

... of the small Gothic Church - 'miniature Cathedral' - at Kylemore Abbey in County Galway ... which is a short walk from the Abbey along a very pretty avenue of tall trees and the largest rhododendrons I have ever seen (not in flower so didn't take a photo) ...

... it was built by Mitchell Henry (refer to previous post on Kylemore Abbey) between 1877 and 1881 as a memorial to his wife, following her untimely death

Beautiful, isn't it?

Wordless Wednesday :

2009-11-04T07:06:00.004+02:00

For more Wordless Wednesday's go here and here

To reach Kylemore Abbey in County Galway ...

2009-11-03T06:01:00.001+02:00

... the winding road took us through the Connemara National Park (under 'West') with stunning views of undulating plains, mountains, ....

... and lakes like mirrors ...

... and there it was ... Kylemore Abbey ... sheltered by the slopes of the Twelve Bens ...

The castle was built as a present for his wife by Mitchell Henry (1826 - 1911), a Manchester tycoon and later a Galway MP. After the deaths of his wife and daughter, he left Kylemore and the castle was sold

It became an abbey when Benedictine nuns, fleeing from Ypres in Belgium during World War I, sought refuge there. The nuns now run the abbey as a girls' boarding and day school ....

It is a fascinating place ... I am going so split the post into three ... the abbey, the Gothic Church which is a short walk along a treelined road, and the Victorian Walled Garden which is reached either by walking the one mile, or catching a shuttle bus (we caught the bus ... as with all these amazing places we visited .. more time is needed )

There are only three reception rooms open to the public ... the drawing room ..

... the dining room ...

... and the Gallery Hall with floor to ceiling beautifully carved oak walls and oak floors ... in one corner there is a 'prayer request book' for Sunday Mass ...

Pottery patterned with fuschias - which grow in abundance here - is made by the nuns and is used in the restaurant as well as for sale in the gift shop ...

Do you see the small tower in amongst the trees on the left hand side? ... that's our next stop .. the Gothic Church

Weekly Winners : 25 - 31 October

2009-11-01T13:05:00.013+02:00

I LOVE ....

... my new fridge magnet ... all the way from Ireland ... a smiley fat sheep ...!!!

.... the smell of fresh mint in the garden ...

.... the teeny tiny flowers-that-look-like-little-spiders of the parsley ...

.... the smell of the rose geranium (which is used for pot pourri) ...

.... the tiny pinky-white flowers of the 'Francis Mason' Abelia

.... the white with pink/purple veins of the Mackaya Bella (which are doing very well in my garden having been badly damaged from the treefelling)

... the fresh new crimson/purple leaves of the Prunus (flowering plum) which is also growing very nicely having been damaged from the treefelling ...

.... the bright new blue buds of the agapanthus (this is the small variety) ...

... love daisy bushes and decided to plant some this year ... can you see the new young petals within the transparent bud ?...

... don't love the flies in summer ....

... and of course ... love wine !!!!

Hubby and I went to an expo of wines at the Sandton Convention Centre which, I think, is held every year. First timers for us .... nice to go from table to table ... representing many of our wine estates ... sampling their wines. Some plonk .. some so-so .. some 'easy drinking' .. some rather yummy !! We didn't want to 'get drunk' on plonk - we seemed to start there (!) so our little wine radars pointed us in the direction of the 'good' wineries. We were not disappointed !! Soooo ... now I have more good wines to add to my shopping list !

For more Weekly Winners visit Lotus

Wandering around the Victorian Walled Garden ...

2009-10-31T14:07:00.005+02:00

... at Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, Co. Galway .... (will do a post on the Abbey as it's spectacular with breathtaking scenery .. sooooo watch this space!)

... we came across a pumpkin patch ... never seen one before !!! (Oh, I lead a sheltered life ...!)

... with big round orange -well, turning orange - pumpkins ... (we don't get pumpkins like this in South Africa - well if we do, I have never seen them) ...

.. just perfect for a Halloween face .. which I've also never ever seen before !!!!

I spotted this table of pumpkins .. one with a carved face .. yippeeee! .. I can now say I've seen one !! This was outside a small veggie/herb and all-sorts-of-things shop in Kew, outside London on our recent trip.

Happy Halloween to all those happy halloweeners .... (it's not a big, important event on our South African calendar) I suppose, one of the reasons, is the availability of pumpkins in the Southern Hemisphere. They're an autumn veggie and we are in late spring/summer now.

Skywatch Friday :

2009-10-30T07:19:00.004+02:00

Another Ireland photo from our recent trip there -

The Spire in Dublin, Ireland on a clear blue day ...

120 metres (390ft) high in O'Connell Street ... I thought looked a little out of place with all the other statues up and down the street ...

See the tiny white speck on the left? Had to zoom into it to see what it was ... it's a bird!

For more spectacular skies around the world visit Skywatch

Come with me .....

2009-10-29T08:00:00.009+02:00

.. while we walk along the banks of the River Martin, towards the Blarney Castle, Co. Cork ...

... the path leading to the Castle meanders through part of the 60 acres of parkland ...

... with trees in their autumnal shades ...

.... crossing over the Blarney River we come across the Castle reaching high above it's rocky foundation ...

... no .. not up these steps ..

.. we must pass the tower ...

... is Sleeping Beauty in her slumber, waiting for her handsome Prince inside the castle surrounded with thorny rose bushes and climbers ...? ...

... let's enter the gate ...

... and climb 127 very narrow steps ....

.. not quite at the top ... but take a breather and enjoy the view .... overlooking the castle wall and road below it ...
... just like the doves ...

... phew .. at the top of the Castle's keep where the man who-holds-you-ever-so-tightly-while -you-bend-backwards-pursing-your-lips-to-kiss-the-Blarney Stone ... awaits his next 'victim' ...

.... hubby !! ... actually it was me .... hubby didn't want a turn (!) .. but was kind-of coerced !

... while I leaned over the battlements to take in the beauty of the surroundings

Wordless Wednesday :

2009-10-28T06:30:00.003+02:00

More Wordless Wednesday posts are here and here

Doolin, Co. Clare ....

2009-10-27T08:36:00.014+02:00

... is a small village on the coast of Co. Clare. We had just left the Cliffs of Moher and were on our way to Galway, sightseeing along route

Opposite the row of village shops is a river .. that's how small the village is!! (Actually it's not the smallest village we've seen .. one of smallest, is one we stayed in last year - Lumpley Stoke, near Bath, England - consisted of the pub, hotel and disused railway station!)

This is the pub in Doolin - well known the world over for it's traditional music! The Publican at a pub called The Thatch in Waterford told us about Doolin and it's music! Gosh, he was a helpful chappie and sat with us with our map sprawled in front of him circling the places we should visit - well, this was one of them .. so there we were ... outside the pub ... (no time to stop for a drink unfortunately as we had lots more to see on our way to Galway)

.. and found two music shops ...

... this one was tucked behind the front village shops ....

... filled, floor to ceiling, with musical instruments and everything connected to traditional Irish music and dance ..

.. I asked the chappie behind the counter if I could take photos ... yes I could, but not of him! Should have got a close-up of those dainty leather dancing shoes hanging from the Bodhran's ..

The other music shop was round the corner and had a beautiful garden filled with flowers .. don't know what the pink ones are but the fuschias grow everywhere ... absolutely everywhere!

Strange to see them so large and so bushy - don't grow like that here. Usually this dark variety and sometimes a pale pink one but they are very commonly grown as hedges alongside roads and lanes. Cars, buses and trucks sweep passed them leaving them straight as if cut with shears, a long line of a dip (from the cars' mirrors !!) and then over the top like a tunnel (from the tops of buses and trucks!!) These were taller than me!

We travelled down to the end of the road to the port ..

.. from here there are ferries to Aran Islands in the distance ...

.. or to the Cliffs of Moher in the distance ..

It was strange to see the sea .. the Atlantic Ocean .. sooo calm !!!

Unfortunately, it was a quite a grey, cloudy day. Would have been nice to see the green pastures under sunlight across the bay ... but at least it wasn't raining! ...

Another view of the rocky coastline ..

Disintegrated before our eyes !

2009-10-26T07:56:00.005+02:00

She loved it !! We were pleased!!! But it started disintegrating while Elaine was wearing it yesterday !!! Is this some kind of a joke, she asked !!!

I am very fussy when it comes to buying clothes ... I check everything .. the stitching, the quality, the hem ..... so this also was given 'the once over' while in the shop in Dublin - Carrolls ...
perfect ! ... Elaine would like it .. and she does !!

But she put it on the first time yesterday and within an hour or so I noticed a hole under her arm ... how could I have missed THAT ! It looked easy to stitch together .. under the arm .. no-one will see it ... a little while later I noticed more holes .. and more !!!

... then it started on the other sleeve .. which I had scrutinized once I spotted the first hole .. it was clear .. not a sign of a hole ...

Now .. I can't 'pop over' to the shop and exchange it !!! Bryan suggested I write them an email with a photo attached ... not that it will do anything, but just to let them know that they sell 'disintegrating' T'shirts ! ... hence the photos !

It obviously has something to do with her deodorant and the fabric - she uses Dove aerosol deodorant - as I do. The fabric has a good quality feel... ! Never seen anything like this before !!

Carl and Lance - be warned ! You may also have disintegrating T'shirts from Ireland !

Weekly Winners : 18 - 24 October

2009-10-25T17:01:00.003+02:00

Haven't taken many photos since coming back from our wonderful holiday in Ireland ....

Sooooo ... thought I'd give an update on the area in my garden that was squashed and trampled on when the three huge conifers were felled ...

... not looking tooooo bad .. only lost one rose bush but that was because I transplanted it .. not very successfully ... and in it's place planted a Lavender Tree .. to help hide the neighbour's rather ugly house ... shall now plant some more little 'things' in-between to fill the gaps ..

Last night .. we had a lovely evening with our Colombian friends .... plus one !

Thought I'd add some abstract ....

... before showing Bradley, who was the coolest of dudes !!

.... and trying so hard to stay the coolest of dudes ...

Connor .. not to be left out ... showed me his 'cool dude' pose ...

... and ended up being .... the cutest of dudes !!!

'Brotherly' cool dudes ...!

For more Weekly Winners go to Lotus at sarcasticmom.com

Skywatch Friday :

2009-10-23T06:43:00.003+02:00

Following on from yesterday's post at Mizen Head, Co Cork in Ireland on our recent holiday there .... the clouds drifted over for a while, turning the reflection of the sun's rays into a sparkling pathway across the Atlantic Ocean ...

It was midday!! ... on the upside-down sundial !

For more spectacular skies around the world visit Skywatch

On the way to Mizen Head, Co. Cork ...

2009-10-22T08:34:00.013+02:00

... over the greenest of hills and dales ... the landscape became a little barren ... we knew we were nearing our destination when we came to this beautiful beach quite unexpectedly!! We only saw a few beaches like this on our route round Ireland ..

... it was a magnificent sight with the Atlantic Ocean spreading out beyond the bay ...

Mizen Head, the most south-westerly point in Ireland, is linked to the mainland with a arched pedestrian bridge which spans a deep gully ...

... walking from the car park to the Signal Station and peering down the cliff face to the sea ... way, way below !

A spectacular view from the arched bridge...

... and another awesome view from the Signal Station ...

There used to be a manned lighthouse, The Fastnet Lighthouse, on top of this building, the building of which was completed in 1904. The Lighthouse is no longer there but the Signal Station is still operational

Looking back to the pathway, arched bridge and visitor's centre (the small building on the right)

Inside the building of the Signal Station is where the Lighthouse Keeper lived ... a lonely life, I would imagine !!

.... with the only means of communication ....!

One of the sides of the lantern is mounted on the wall...

Set of crockery displayed in the narrow passage ....

Very interesting .... with spectacular views !!!

Wordless Wednesday :

2009-10-21T06:44:00.005+02:00

For more Wordless Wednesday's go ... here and here

Ormonde Castle, Co. Tipperary

2009-10-20T07:15:00.005+02:00

Whilst driving through the town of Carrick-on-Suir, a pretty little place in Tipperary, we discovered this 16th Century Manor House. Behind it is the original castle which dates back to the 14th Century. Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde added the front section, the Manor House.

Unfortunately, it's only open to the public in summer ... end of September the gates close - just missed it by a few days ....

To the right of the gate is a road which leads to Carrick-on-Suir ...

Camera lens through the bars ....!!

It was so quiet and peaceful with the smell of the recently mown lawns and the sound of the river close by, hidden behind bushes and trees.

The 'Wow' factor !

2009-10-18T10:49:00.033+02:00

Choosing overall photos from hundreds and hundreds we took, between hubby and I, was a mammoth task!!!! So have picked a few that really made me go ...

.... WOW ..... to the grass which is the greenest of greens ...

... the trees .... scattered in parks like this at Blarney Castle, Co. Cork ..

.... and forests with autumn colours ...

... the mountains, reminiscent of our Cape mountains, mirrored lakes - in the Connemara National Park, Co. Galway

... the barren, rocky landscape of The Burren, Co. Clare which extended for miles and miles ...

... the exquisite beauty of the original Waterford Crystal ...

.. which showroom is filled with sparkling works of art like this beautiful huge vase ....

(sadly, it's only the showroom left with a few people manning it as the entire factory closed down due to the recession and has relocated to Poland. There are still some items - genuine Waterford, made in Ireland - left for sale .... hubby bought me the most beautiful bud vase which has the Waterford stamp on the base! Exquisite !! Shall have to take a photo of it !! )

... and this magnificent chandelier which sparkles with the light shining through the large window ..

... to the centuries old buildings ... like this Round Tower reaching 30 mtrs which stands at the 6th century monastic site established by St Stephen in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow .. (first thoughts that came to mind was ... "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair ...")

... and another centuries-old rocky stronghold which "rises dramatically out of the Tipperary plains". It dates back to the 4th/5th Century. The museum houses treasures including The St Patrick's Cross - St Patrick visited Cashel in 450. In future posts, I will show more of this magnificent medievial complex.

... to the colour of the calm sea at Mizen Head, Co. Cork - the furthest south-westerly point of Ireland ...

... and I was there ....

... to the majestic Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare, which rise to a height of 200 mtrs above the sea and stretch for 8 kms ... a little hazy on the day we went

.. but it was breathtaking .... we walked from that castle perched on top .. to the brownish area above that huge cave in the photo above

.. to the misty plains and castles ...

... and the hundreds of statues .... this one being one of my favourites ... she stands at Rosses Point, Co. Sligo 'watching and waiting for loved ones to return from the sea'

... and then of course there were all the churches and abbeys with magnificent ceilings, interiors and stained glass windows ... this reflection of the beautiful colours caught my eye in the Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin which is the oldest church in Ireland ..

... not forgetting all the pubs including this one simply called The Bank ... as it was a bank! (We both had a very good meal whilst sipping my French wine and hubby drinking his Guinness!)

... and then ... of course .... you can't visit Ireland without kissing the Blarney Stone ... !!!

... and visiting the Guinness Storehouse and having a Guinness ... cheers !!

Skywatch Friday : As the sun was setting ...

2009-10-16T08:18:00.005+02:00

... over Sligo Bay, Co. Sligo .... it was our last day in beautiful Ireland. Hubby and I are back home again after two weeks of touring by car, around Ireland and a few days in London. What a wonderful holiday !! Ireland is breathtaking from emerald green hills, lakes, mountains to rocky barren open plains to quaint fishing villages to the friendliest of people !!

For more spectacular skies around the world .. visit Skywatch

We celebrated Elaine's graduation ...

2009-09-27T19:33:00.007+02:00

.. on Saturday night with a dinner at ....

As you all know there was a mix up with dates and we will miss her graduation by ONE DAY .... very very very sad mommy and daddy here!! :(

... so we celebrated her special day .... Honours with cum laude (Marketing) ....

... with dinner and a little prezzie ...

... which she will wear tomorrow ... so that there will be a little part of us with her while she is capped ...

Congratulations, sweetie pie .. you deserve it. You have reaped the rewards of your dedication and hard work ..

.. we love you lots !

Weekly Winners : 20 - 26 Sept

2009-09-26T21:56:00.011+02:00

"Incy Wincy spider climbing up/down the spout/wall ....."

These 'rain spiders' give me the absolute creeps !!! I hate/dislike/can't bear them with a passion!

They always appear in the rainy season. This is a youngster!!!! The other day we had a short shower of rain, which was only enough to make things even more dusty looking than they are - it needed to rain harder and longer to wash all the dust off everything !! - and this young fellow decided to see what the outside world looked like in our garage. He has since disappeared ... back to where he came from .... next time we see him he will be much larger, with a round body and furry legs ....

.... once one was quite happy in Elaine's car, unbeknown to her, and gave the car wash lady such a fright ... she screamed in terror and turned rather pale !!! We all wonder how long he had been in there .... and all the places he had visited while travelling around in her car ... university, friends houses, nightclubs etc !!!!

... a few years ago, I was checking the post box for mail and my fingers prodded the soft, warm furry body of one !!! eeeeww !!!

Much more pleasant .... flowers in my garden ... again .... like the palm tree flower ...

... a sad looking daffodil which didn't have the strength to lift it's weary head ... I have never had much success with daffodils and this one decided to join the ranks of it's unsuccessful counterparts ...

Didn't have much success with the anemones either ... planted a huge handful and only a few decided to show their pretty faces ... when spring turns to summer quickly with sudden hot days they don't have much chance ....

Indigenous .... indigenous .... indigenous .... "plant indigenous" is always drummed into our heads at garden centres ... there is a reason .... !!!!

... and finally .. from my garden is the Brunfelsia calycina ... otherwise known as the Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ...

I have five bushes in the garden some are young and smallish ...

... and two are larger and covered in sweet fragrant blossoms at the moment ... these by the window have always been drastically trimmed otherwise we wouldn't see out the window!! Last year my gardener, Samuel, in his wisdom, decided to trim them, whilst I was out, and cut off all the new growth and buds !! I cried !!! This year ... NO ONE has touched them except me !!

I know I have featured them in a previous post, but we are going on holiday for two weeks and by the time we come home the flowers will be dying and falling off :( . They do have odd flowers during the summer but never such a show as in spring/early summer.

More flowers .... and dirty toes ... !!

Jackie waiting for her 'friend' next door to come and sniff and bark at the wall ... she sits for ages there - on one of the stumps from the conifers we felled recently - waiting ... waiting ... waiting ..

Now ... what would a Weekly Winners be without our little 'wild child' ....

This is my last contribution for the next two weeks ... hubby and I are 'going overseas' to Ireland for a holiday .. should be good .... green and wet !!! See you when we get back ....

For more Weekly Winners go to Sarcastic mom - Lotus

Skywatch Friday :

2009-09-25T06:54:00.004+02:00

"I'm leaving .... on a jet plane .... "

... "don't know when I'll be back again ... "

Actually, I do ... in two weeks!!! Hubby and I are going to Ireland for a holiday on Monday. We've had quite a traumatic time with all sorts of things going wrong, it will be nice to get away - although I feel as if I am 'abandoning ship' !!

Hoping to have good news today and Nicole (my DIL) will be discharged (I told her to take/steal/borrow an oxygen tank and sneak out!!).

... hoping Carl (my son/her husband) will begin to relax - he has had it tough .. with looking after little Erin, night shifts (he is a paramedic) and now their beautiful 'gentle giant' has died

... hoping the rest of my family don't get sick .. and that includes Elaine who now seems to have the tummy bug I had !!

... hoping that her graduation goes well. We will be there in thought and spirit to watch her receive her Honours with cum laude .... and still very very very upset that the University messed us around with not giving us a firm date of the graduation ... hence the bad timing !! :(

... hoping we don't get another swarm of bees which decided to make a hive in an air vent at the back of the house the other day

... hoping that Elaine and Bryan are safe whilst looking after our house (our friends were the victims of an armed robbery in their home and were thankfully not physically hurt)

... hoping that it rains so that my garden will be watered while we are away

... hoping that my hubby and I will relax over a beer/wine at the airport and drink a toast to our family and a wonderful holiday

One more thing .... below .... Erin, our two year old granddaughter ... a future Skywatcher !!!!!

For more beautiful skies around the world visit Skywatch Friday