Sunday, December 25, 2016
Merry Christmas to everyone!
It is quarter to ten at night so my first Christmas in Ireland is almost at an end. Mitzi woke me up very early in the morning--the downside to no longer having a doggie door. I put my boots on my bare feet, threw my jacket over my nightgown and went out into the courtyard with her. I wish she would go alone but maybe it is better I go with her. There are chickens and geese in a pen just off the courtyard and if the owners ever forgot to lock the gate....
Anyway, came back inside. It doesn't get light here until just about 8:15 a.m. and it was grey and drizzly anyway. I made a substantial one-pan breakfast of bacon, fry bread and eggs. I am getting very good with using just one fry pan and every other day the saucepan for cooking noodles. Spaghetti bolognese and salad continues to be the fare we eat at the house. Richard has said several times he will try to figure out how to light the oven but we probably never will before we leave.
Oh yes, forgot to say that we did get the cottage in Dunmore East. We sign the contract on January 3rd as the estate agent is closed all this week for Christmas week. Our landlady said we could go as soon as we like because she is convinced she will easily find another tenant. She is slightly resentful that we didn't like the place and I don't blame her. Still, as I think I wrote before, I paid her for a month we weren't here. I have learned my lesson about not renting sight unseen and not getting Richard's absolute, don't-go-back-on-it approval. But, then, I will never have Richard's absolute, don't-go-back-on-it approval until he can buy the house of his dreams. Hmmm . . . let's not go there. I hope we are set for this year at least; it is a year long lease.
Anyway, we went to church this morning. The church branch is in Waterford which is an hour's drive away. There are some senior missionaries working in the branch whom I had spoken with on Thursday so they were waiting for us and had also told a member family about us and they had immediately extended an invitation to Christmas dinner. Our church service was shortened because of Christmas--only 45 minutes long. We sang some Christmas carols, a couple of people gave very short talks on the spirit of Christmas and then people stood around and talked and talked and talked.... There are a few Irish families but there are also families from India, from Uganda (the family who had us over for a delicious Ugandan/Irish Christmas dinner), from Italy, and two graduate students from Shanghai China. They were all anxious to know all about us while we tried also to get to know them. There are only about 40 people who attend the branch so I am looking forward to developing some good friendships. Our new rental will be half the distance, only 25 minutes from Waterford, so that will make it easier.
Mitzi came in the car and the senior missionaries made a huge fuss of her which she lapped up. She stayed at their apartment while we went over to the Mutebis (Mitzi and people eating dinner are not a good combination.) Oh my goodness there was so much delicious food! Some African stews, a traditional turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice carrots, broccoli, baked eggplant and baked green bananas. I definitely have to start back exercising this week!! We didn't stay very long, only two hours, as it was raining hard and Richard didn't fancy driving back to Ballitore in the dark.
So we left about 4:30 and were home at 5:30. I watched some more Christmas programs, ending with The Bishop's Wife, with Cary Grant and David Niven. One of my favorites. And now it is 10 o'clock and I will read and hopefully fall asleep.
I had written in another post that we were planning to go to Altamount. We did so here are some photos. Altamont Gardens are 16-hectares of woodlands and plants and trees. Every season is beautiful. Right now, things are dormant although I did see tiny plants poking their heads up through the grass. Snow drops will be blooming in a couple of weeks according to the gardener. We had the gardens much to ourselves and it was very, very peaceful:
And, to end my blog, here are some photos of dinner at the Mutebis and Mitzi listening to the crows in the garden this morning:
Merry Christmas to everyone!
It is quarter to ten at night so my first Christmas in Ireland is almost at an end. Mitzi woke me up very early in the morning--the downside to no longer having a doggie door. I put my boots on my bare feet, threw my jacket over my nightgown and went out into the courtyard with her. I wish she would go alone but maybe it is better I go with her. There are chickens and geese in a pen just off the courtyard and if the owners ever forgot to lock the gate....
Anyway, came back inside. It doesn't get light here until just about 8:15 a.m. and it was grey and drizzly anyway. I made a substantial one-pan breakfast of bacon, fry bread and eggs. I am getting very good with using just one fry pan and every other day the saucepan for cooking noodles. Spaghetti bolognese and salad continues to be the fare we eat at the house. Richard has said several times he will try to figure out how to light the oven but we probably never will before we leave.
Oh yes, forgot to say that we did get the cottage in Dunmore East. We sign the contract on January 3rd as the estate agent is closed all this week for Christmas week. Our landlady said we could go as soon as we like because she is convinced she will easily find another tenant. She is slightly resentful that we didn't like the place and I don't blame her. Still, as I think I wrote before, I paid her for a month we weren't here. I have learned my lesson about not renting sight unseen and not getting Richard's absolute, don't-go-back-on-it approval. But, then, I will never have Richard's absolute, don't-go-back-on-it approval until he can buy the house of his dreams. Hmmm . . . let's not go there. I hope we are set for this year at least; it is a year long lease.
Anyway, we went to church this morning. The church branch is in Waterford which is an hour's drive away. There are some senior missionaries working in the branch whom I had spoken with on Thursday so they were waiting for us and had also told a member family about us and they had immediately extended an invitation to Christmas dinner. Our church service was shortened because of Christmas--only 45 minutes long. We sang some Christmas carols, a couple of people gave very short talks on the spirit of Christmas and then people stood around and talked and talked and talked.... There are a few Irish families but there are also families from India, from Uganda (the family who had us over for a delicious Ugandan/Irish Christmas dinner), from Italy, and two graduate students from Shanghai China. They were all anxious to know all about us while we tried also to get to know them. There are only about 40 people who attend the branch so I am looking forward to developing some good friendships. Our new rental will be half the distance, only 25 minutes from Waterford, so that will make it easier.
Mitzi came in the car and the senior missionaries made a huge fuss of her which she lapped up. She stayed at their apartment while we went over to the Mutebis (Mitzi and people eating dinner are not a good combination.) Oh my goodness there was so much delicious food! Some African stews, a traditional turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, rice carrots, broccoli, baked eggplant and baked green bananas. I definitely have to start back exercising this week!! We didn't stay very long, only two hours, as it was raining hard and Richard didn't fancy driving back to Ballitore in the dark.
So we left about 4:30 and were home at 5:30. I watched some more Christmas programs, ending with The Bishop's Wife, with Cary Grant and David Niven. One of my favorites. And now it is 10 o'clock and I will read and hopefully fall asleep.
I had written in another post that we were planning to go to Altamount. We did so here are some photos. Altamont Gardens are 16-hectares of woodlands and plants and trees. Every season is beautiful. Right now, things are dormant although I did see tiny plants poking their heads up through the grass. Snow drops will be blooming in a couple of weeks according to the gardener. We had the gardens much to ourselves and it was very, very peaceful:
And, to end my blog, here are some photos of dinner at the Mutebis and Mitzi listening to the crows in the garden this morning:
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