Holidaying

Oh my time has flown by, we are mid-summer, high summer, on-the-cusp summer. The holidays to France are over and we enjoyed every minute of our time there. We spent days exploring tiny sleepy villages, walking through the countryside near to where we were staying, trying to imprint it on our minds so that in months to follow, when we have forgotten that wonderful sensation of sun on skin, we can recall it all again.

We explored tumble-down castles towering over villages, commanding the countryside. We revisited some favourite villages from last year and discovered new places to love. We ate ice-cream every day and swam each afternoon, hugely grateful that we had the pool to cool down in. I can't claim that we did anything of any use for two long weeks- with the possible exception of the morning the boys helped their grandad move logs to the house for the winter.

The boys loved the fortified medieval city of Carcassonne even though it was jam packed with tourists like us. We walked the city ramparts and then the parapets of the castle and took in the fabulous views but I think really all the boys wanted was to get to the shops to buy bows and arrows. 

Kevin and I managed to get away on our own a couple of times, leaving the children with their grandparents. One evening we went to the cathedral in Foix to hear a quartet chant sacred music-it was a beautifully peaceful experience to hear their human voices woven in close harmony while sitting away from the heat in the spare medieval elegance of the cathedral. Another night we ate a truly memorable meal in the ruined cloister of the atmospheric and romantic L'Abbaye Chateau de Camon. I would love to overnight there- it has such a feeling of beauty to it.

I think once again we truly enjoyed our holidays, that break from real life which allows time to dream and imagine another existence; but also holidays remind us to be so grateful for home and homecoming, if we didn't leave what we love, just occasionally, we wouldn't experience that wonderful feeling of return. 

Carlingford

Last weekend we went to the small coastal town of Carlingford, entering through the 14th century gate, we pottered down tiny medieval streets, past the Mint and Taaffe's Castle wending our way up through the town until we came across a wonderful old fashioned sweet shop with a dim interior all trimly painted with cream gloss, complete with lift-up counter, weighing scales and boxes and boxes of treats. Do you remember pressing your face against the glass of a sweet shop window and hoping, hoping there was something there for you?

Roland Collins

If you like the work of Eric Ravilious or John Piper there's every chance you will love the work of Roland Collins too. There's something fresh and cheerful about his paintings- you can almost smell the rain in the air gathering around that lovely grey flint house or a salty sea tang, maybe mixed with some smoke belching from that tug, or perhaps a drifted conversation with words caught by a shore breeze...

Needs and Wants

Oh help! I just love the shop floor project....but oh, no look at those gorgeous limited edition Alice Pattullo cushions 'ahoy there me 'earties' or what about these oil painting bags by Swarm?


And what about the cutest bumble bee necklace - oh, c'mon you gotta have one of those! Maybe you're limiting yourself to practical essentials such as...
or this...

or a bird tail jug or two?

or a cosy blanket for those often chilly summer evenings?



Happy Tuesday!

out and about

I suppose there can sometimes be an element of 'familiarity breeds contempt' in all our lives. Certainly living in Ireland we are surrounded by all sorts of special features in our immediate landscape, making them common-place, comfortable and consequently, perhaps, not-much-thought-of. We went to Monasterboice monastery founded in the 6th Century to look at the high crosses and round tower which date from the 10th Century. We showed the boys the crosses deeply carved shafts depicting biblical stories and also their wonderful swirling abstract designs. They ran about, perhaps not caring too much about anything except the sun on their faces, while we marvelled at what has gone before us in this land of ours.

I loved the beautifully engraved late 18th century grave stones, full of plump cherubic faces with fanned wings and curly mops of hair and elegant lichen flecked angels blowing long trumpets. Here also are reminders of time passing in the hourglass...use it wisely!

We then took a windswept walk along the beach where we all gathered shells and pebbles and watched the antics of swooping seagulls and sandpipers dashing out of the waves reach. It was lovely to walk on that sandy expanse listening to the crash of water on land and to watch their carefree souls finding joy in the world. 

oh brother!

William (aged 6) has persuaded Mide (aged 4) to play Draughts. It's not going well as Mide is losing. William is using all of his powers to keep the game going despite the amateur dramatics from his younger brother...

 
William: you've got to think, think like a t-rex wanting to kill its prey
Mide: I don't want to think
William: but you've got to think to win, use your brain
Mide: I don't want to use my brain
William: well, I'm using my brain to think and I'm gonna win
Mide: okay, stop all this talking; I'm going to play

making

This weekend, with the sun blazing and all thoughts of cooking, cleaning, laundry & shopping banished, I dusted off the lino-cutter and set myself up outside under the shade of the sun umbrella and drew, cut and printed a little leaping hare. I had forgotten just how much pleasure I get from the simple act of making. Even if it's not very good, it's the doing of it that makes me happy.

And Mide chose to do some drawing too. I traced around him on some giant paper on a roll from Ikea and he coloured himself in...