We went for a walk along the river trail this morning. There were a lot of swampy parts on either side of the trail, which were quite pretty, with all of the tree branches and their reflections in the water. Some were quite large and some, like this one, very small.
There's a house near where we live that has a beautiful front garden. We walk by it all the time and we always enjoy looking at what is growing and for most of the year, what is blooming. We've said hello to the lady who lives there when we've seen her. Today as we were nearing home, we saw her out working with her spade. I said hello and made a comment about it being a good day for being out in the garden. She agreed and asked if I'd seen the crocuses blooming. She said her mother panted them in 1960. Then she started telling us about various family members and their stories. We were at a good distance from one another.
Her grandmother had planted some trees, she said, and they took off. As she waved her hand around in the direction of trees, she said they all came from those first few trees planted by her grandmother in 1900. She lives in the same house her grandma did. She had to have a couple of the trees cut down because they'd gotten too big for the space.
She told a story about a great uncle who, with a cousin of his, decided many decades ago to go on a cycling tour of Ireland--there were no cars then, she said. These two fellows stopped at a convent near Dublin to visit another relative and because 'the nuns always feed you.' The nun said that she had people in Kildare and if they went there, they could get clean water. When they got to Kildare, they were hesitant to go knock on the farmhouse door, but they found their courage and did so. It just so happened that there were three girls of marriageable age there. One ended up marrying the great uncle and coming to live in Dungloe, where they ran Sweeney's Hotel. They had 13 children. Another of the young women married the other guy and they ended up in South Africa.
It was such an unexpected conversation and so interesting. I am so happy that it happened. As we were chatting, I had the impulse to ask her if we could take her to tea sometime and listen to more of her stories, learning a bit about Dungloe in the process. Then I remembered that I couldn't do that. Maybe one day. I'd love to hear more.
6 comments:
What a great story! Sometimes a chance encounter and conversation can lead to years of being best friends. That's how my husband met his best friend. They were both looking at the bin of video's at WM and got to talking. They ended up being best friends for years, until my husband passed away,
How wonderful that you had a chance to talk to this interesting woman.
I do hope that you get that chance to invite her to tea.
Your life is so interesting and you and Bill are the perfect couple ☕
What a great story about your late husband and his friend, Vicki! It's true--you just never know!
I hope so too, Jan! We had only been here a few weeks when lockdown started, so it's been a weird year in that regard. We don't know what it's like here during 'normal' times.
How lovely to talk with this very interesting woman.
I'm sure it would be nice to meet up with her again should you have the opportunity.
All the best Jan
PS I liked the photographs here.
Nice stories.
To be honest... If you keep the distance, why not? I sat for hours with 81-year old W and he told me many a story, too. He was happy for the company and I think it´s more important than ever these days. Just keep a safe distance... Bring a tea and 3 cuppas next time?
Thanks, Jan! One day, we'll chat again and I'll be able to ask her to tea! :-)
Iris--That wouldn't be something I would do for many reasons. One, no Irish person wants to sit outside in current conditions--LOL. Two, our apartment is too small to have guests for tea--we do not even have a dining table and seating is minimal. Three, I would never invite myself to a stranger's home. Four, the local eatery is closed. Five, it's also the case that getting together could result in hefty fines for all of us.
Beyond that, I am in complete agreement with the restrictions the government has imposed as is the vast majority of Irish people. Sitting together indoors would be exactly the sort of activity that could and has spread the virus, particularly since the new, more easily transmissible UK variant has been making the rounds. Even last summer, when things were starting to open, a friend wanted to come from another town and we told him we were not dining indoors, because that's how spread happens. And so it was. It wasn't long before numbers soared again. None of us are happy about the reality of what's going on, but we all recognise that we need to do what we need to do in order to get past it. And what we need to do, for the good of ourselves and the wider community, is stay away from people.
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