A.L.A.W. 2013

I have at last finished my Peace alphabet, now to decide how to put it together. Here are some of the letters and you can see more of them over at A Letter a Week

Rainbows

Still waiting for the weather to behave as it should for May and there is no pot of gold under this rainbow!

Still Raining

I am wondering will we get any let up in this awful weather? Farmers are in distress, my own included. The livestock are still indoors, it is too wet to put them out. There is no grass due to a wet, windy and frosty spring, and this comes on top of an awful summer last year when the cattle went indoors in August. Already with the poor growth, next winters fodder is compromised, it seems the hardship just goes on and on! But calves are being born which is always joyful. This is what I see from my front garden.

A.L.A.W. 2013

I have at last made a start on The Letter a Week challenge. "Peace" is the theme which really challenged me.  I hope to play catch up and complete it before May. The Peace I have depicted is a personal one, that quiet feeling when one is calm and all feels right with the world. You can see my letters and all the others over at A.L.A.W.  I used dead Hydrangea heads as I wanted something fragile and delicate.

On the Alphabet they look like trees in a landscape which I like as often we are most at peace in a beautiful landscape.

P.S.
Congratulations to Penny who won my Give Away, the little house and some other small treats are on their way to Oz. She was the one and only name in the hat, so a Big Thank you to Penny for leaving a comment.

Gorgeous in Kilkenny

Kilkenny is a beautiful city, with a long tradition of good design and jewellery shops. (Rudolf Heltzel's studio was one of the first jewellery designer shops in the country.) I spent a very enjoyable day in the city last week and each time I visit I discover new shops and cafes. One shop that opened last summer is Gorgeous on John St. and in a city with such a great choice of boutiques, this one really stood out. With many unusual gifts it's the perfect destination for wedding or house warming gifts. I bought some tapered candles by Ester and Erik, they were irresistible and beautifully displayed in their original dipping trays.

Give-away

While I was hibernating I see my "Followers" have crept up to 41, I had decided that I was going to celebrate reaching the Big 40 with a give-away, so here it is. Just leave a comment so that I know you have not all deserted me while I neglected you. Check back on the 27th. when I will announce the winner, I may need your contact details so that I can dispatch one of my cute little houses to you.

Happy St. Patricks Day

Greetings to you all from The Emerald Isle on this our National Feast Day. I always think this day is more significant for our diaspora than it is for us at home. I don't do anything to mark the day other than watch the festivities on T.V. from the comfort of my home rather than brave the elements as it usually rains on the parades. I did make a "pope costume" for a friend that will be going as an "Irish Pope" on a float somewhere in Co. Galway. To mark the day I am just posting a green photos of a place we refer to as "the hills" which is close to where I grew up and a photo of some "turf" on a hillside, this is what we use to keep the home fires burning for all our emigrants. It does look bleak and desolate and far from "green".  Imagine going from this place to the bustle of New York or Sydney? What a shock!and yet we have more young people broad than ever, Will the tide of emigration ever stop for the Irish? So to all of you Enjoy Paddies day wherever you are!