A Wordy Woman

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Summer is Here

Summer has arrived. As always, I hope it will not last long. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far. It was probably around 70 but felt hotter in the sun. We spent the afternoon walking around in Buncrana and as a result my evening was shot. Spent it in bed with a pounding head and upset stomach--not the first time the sun and heat have caused such problems for me and probably not the last! I was particularly annoyed because I wanted to finish the book I am reading!! Was glad to feel OK when I woke up today. Still sunny, but not as warm and here in Moville there has been a nice breeze all day. We started by making a visit to the fruit and veg guy who sets up his stall in Market Square every Tuesday. We got our produce, came home, unloaded that and stuck our Klean Kanteens in the backpacks to be filled at St Columbcille's well. The breeze was quite brisk on the shore walk and it was pleasant and comfortable in spite of the sun. The tide was high this morning. The water is so clear.

Flowers are blooming. The white flower is new, but the gorse has been blooming for a while.

Last week they did some patching of the walk and a wall. Someone decided to add a message.

As it was when we used to regularly walk the path by the River Robe in Ballinrobe, it is interesting to see the changes along the shore walk. There is always something new to notice and the landscape changes in subtle and more noticeable ways, depending on the weather, the light, the tide, and the season. I look forward to seeing the changes as the year goes on.

On the way back we saw a small bird on a big rock.

After we had returned home I looked up Lough Foyle and learned that it is home to many types of birds, fish, and plants, some of them rare. There is an ongoing territorial dispute! The UK has announced that they consider the whole of Lough Foyle to be UK territory, though they were gracious enough to concede that Ireland takes a rather different view on this matter! Pretty sure the birds and fish do not really care!

Buncrana

We spent the afternoon in Buncrana today. This is the largest town on the Inishowen Peninsula. We are on the eastern edge and Buncrana is on the western edge. I think the population is about 6000 people but we have clearly gotten used to life in small towns/villages because it seems huge. Lots of traffic, people everywhere, and an almost chaotic vibe.

It was a yucky, sunny, hot day--maybe 70--and I am paying for my jaunt now with a headache and queasy stomach. I do not do well on days like today! Still, summer has arrived and the planters were full of flowers.

Once you get outside of town and to the coastline, it is quite pleasant and they have a lovely walking path. I like the one here in Moville better, but this was nice too.

At the other end of town we came across this old mill, where apparently only rage parking is permitted :-)

A Moving Tale

We have moved several times during the three and a half decades of our marriage. Until the past couple of years almost all of these moves were big--a couple thousand miles or more. Just a couple were from one town to the neighbouring one. The last big move would have been our jaunt across the pond when we came to Ireland from Maine. We did a year in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo. Then we moved to Killybegs, Co Donegal. This was not a big move, but was more than a few kilometers and we moved by bus, making trips back and forth for a month. Almost 6 weeks ago (already?!) we moved from Killybegs to Moville, also in Donegal, but at the opposite end--and Donegal is a pretty big county by Irish standards! We had done the trip by bus for a visit and that took 3 hours, so we figured that since we had friends bringing us and our stuff, it would probably be a simple 2 hour ride. It even seemed like the move itself might be almost pleasant--good company, 2 hours of beautiful scenery outside--what's not to like? Ha!

Turns out that we had a lot more stuff going out of Killybegs than we had going in--and much of it was bulky stuff like blankets, pillows, yarn, fabric, and books. Much of this stuff was passed on to us from others while some was from the charity shop. All of it was either stuff we needed (pillows, blankets, sweaters I had made since I left almost all my winter clothes behind in Maine) or things I was not willing to give up (books, yarn, and fabric). We were grateful for the help! The plan was that one friend (OG) would be driving another friend's larger vehicle since he has a small Skoda. Most of our stuff, along with Bill and myself, would be in that vehicle with him. Another friend (JOB) would ride in his smaller vehicle with his brother. Last minute stuff would ride with them. We would be in Moville at 2, where we would sign the lease, get the keys, and unload.

When it was time to go, JOB said he and his brother had to make a stop and would meet us there. Off they went. OG followed a few minutes later. We did not make it far when the noise started. It was a nasty scraping sort of noise. The vehicle had, just the previous week, come out of the mechanic's shop after having two springs replaced. This mechanic was just off the main road so OG turned off and pulled into his lot. The guy came out and said there was too much stuff in the vehicle and, because the previous owner had put on "cool" oversized tires, the plastic on the wheel wells (or whatever it is called) was scraping the tires. He offered a trailer, but there was no trailer hitch or tow bar on the vehicle, so there was nothing else to do but go back to the Old Coast Guard Station, wincing at that scraping noise as we rode over every bump--and since we were going on back roads, there were many bumps. Once we got there, OG pushed down one of the back seats in his little Skoda and we started piling stuff in there. We fit almost all of it in too, only leaving a few blankets, some plants, a large, but light, box, and the two big heavy suitcases. We left again and drove through rain, drizzle, a hailstorm, and mist for one hour and forty minutes, driving into Moville under a sunny blue sky. As they like to say, you can have all 4 seasons in one day here.

We had time so we stopped at a cafe and had some soup before we headed across Market Square to the letting agent's office, bumping into JOB on the way. We told him we'd come up in OG's car and he said, "I thought that was his yoke!" A yoke is a thing here. I also learned that day that a "gaff" must be a home or a dwelling because JOB used it a couple of times, starting when he gave us a jade plant he had rooted and grown himself--he said it was for our "new gaff." Anyway, it did not take very long for everything to be unloaded and then everyone went their separate ways and Bill and I were alone in our new place. I turned on the fridge and we went to get a little food--milk, bread, etc. We got back and the fridge was not working. I tried the kettle and it did not work. None of the outlets worked. Too late to call the letting agent's office and there seemed to be no issue when we looked at the circuit breakers. It was cool enough that we could put the milk outside on the window ledge (there are protective bars outside, probably to stop a child from falling out of the window, but in this case it kept the milk from falling!). It was cold that night but we had no heat or hot water. I tried to sleep but could not, so finally I got up, put on my coat, a cowl, a hat and some gloves, took an afghan and went to sit on the loveseat, where I cried until 4 am when I finally dozed off.

Next morning we went to the letting agent's office as soon as they opened and told them about the problems. Then we went and got coffee!! They told Michael, who takes care of stuff for them. He showed up that afternoon and was puzzled. He called electricians. They were coming from Letterkenny but it would take a couple of hours. We went and got some food for supper and spent a few minutes sitting by the water, just to feel the peace.

photo by Bill Burke

The electricians came and determined that the fridge was tripping the circuit for some reason. This was a small, under-counter fridge and it did not even have a little freezer compartment! Seemed odd to think that that little thing was tripping the circuit! Michael said he would bring us a new fridge in the morning and left it unplugged, so we had no fridge but we had outlets, hot water, and heat!

The next morning he showed up with some guys who took the old fridge away. He told me he could not find a new one that was the right size so he was bringing up one from downstairs (there is an office down there) but it had "a little frost" in the freezer compartment. I said I would defrost it before plugging it in. They all left and I heated water to put inside to speed things up. I opened the freezer compartment and saw that "a little frost" was actually enough to almost completely fill the space! There was just enough room on one side for me to stick a shallow container of hot water in there. It took all day to defrost it.

In the meantime, OG and a couple of other friends showed up with the rest of our stuff, so I was carrying stuff up, making coffee, chatting, and defrosting the freezer. We ended up getting a sandwich from the takeaway that night. I was so tired. And I held my breath when the freezer was finally defrosted and I plugged in the fridge! Thankfully it did not trip the circuit and we could bring the milk in from the window ledge! I was not sorry when that day ended!

I Can't Control Myself

Is it possible to have a book problem? In spite of the fact that we have recently huffed and puffed in the process of getting piles of books from Killybegs to Moville, I find myself gathering more, more, more!

Those are my current checked out library books. I have reached my limit of 5 e-books on the nook. The Goldfinch jumped into my hands one day at the library. I was just wandering around while Bill was using the computer and suddenly, there I was, holding this doorstopper of a book. I brought it home with me. Last Friday some of my requests came in and I dashed down to pick them up. Oh the utter joy of having a library just around the corner--I can walk there in about 2 minutes. I had given up on ever getting my hands on The Art and Architecture of Ireland, but this library system has all 5 volumes so I am requesting them one at a time.

Last night I listened to the first installment of one novel on BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime and then switched over to RTÉ 1 for part 1 of the the Book on One. I have a couple of library books either still in Donegal Town or somewhere between there and here. I requested them and forgot to change my pick-up location from the default Donegal Town to Moville. Gerry, our local librarian, called Rory, the librarian there, and told him to just send them up when they arrived, so they should be here soon. There is another book in transit and a couple that will likely be soon.

We also have a Wee Free Library along the shore walk.

Yes, I have taken a book from there. No, I have not put any in there--yet. But I am happy to let Bill donate for both of us. He has also chosen a book from the Wee Free Library, but has added 3 others. Good job, Bill! My intentions are good,though, and I do plan to add many books whenever I get around to reading them.

I wonder if I should mention that there are three charity shops in this town and we now have more books than we did when we arrived.

It is kind of a cliché in stories about addiction and denial that before people realize they have a problem they will say things like, "I can stop any time I want." I won't even bother to go there. If there is such a thing as a book problem, I will happily own up to the fact that I am in it deep. Always have been. Someone once told me that I probably walked out of the womb while reading a book. I am sure that is not true. I would not have had a library card yet.

Creating Through It All

Years ago I had a job as the archivist at the Alaska Native Language Center at University of Alaska Fairbanks. I had a small office full of various audio equipment--cassette players, reel-to-reel, a couple of computers, an audio filter, and maybe more that I have forgotten about. My job entailed digitizing the extensive collection of Alaska Native language recordings to ensure that they would still be available in future, since the tapes were mostly old and in various stages of deterioration. There are many Alaska Native languages and I was only studying one--Inupiaq Eskimo--so while I would often listen to those tapes as they were playing, for other language recordings all I had to do was make sure the tape was playing and the sound levels were good going into the computer. Then I could just let it go on its own and do something else, go get coffee, or whatever. This was a job I had been asked to apply for and at the time of my "interview" I was told I could do whatever I wanted as the tapes ran. Once I set things up in such a way that I had two hours until the tapes were done, so I went out for ice cream with a friend. Mostly though, I either read or stitched. As it happened, my time in that job coincided with a departmental move from a building on one side of the central campus to one on the other side. Everyone else was becoming increasingly agitated as the chaos of moving became more intrusive on people's work life. Since someone else was in charge of packing the contents of my office, I did not have to think about any of it. As everyone ran around like their hair was on fire, I was simply there with my tapes and my yarn. The tapes played and I crocheted. At one point, the department head looked at me and said, "Shari is our rock. She just stays calm." I laughed and told him whenever they were ready, someone could push me across campus in my rolling chair and I would just keep on crocheting.

That was not the first or the last time I have been grateful for my textile passion. I can always have a project to do that fits whatever situation I am in. If I need distraction I can pick up a project that requires attention and get lost in it. If I am stressed or even sick, I can pick up a mindless project and stitch away, either taking my mind off how lousy I feel or calming my agitated mind. If I am depressed I can make something quick and feel like I accomplished something. Needless to say, I have found much comfort in my creative activities over the last couple of months which were dominated by packing, moving, getting things sorted here, and by the arrival of y annual spring/summer depression. Last year the move to Killybegs alleviated that somewhat, but this move has exacerbated it and I am still working on making it more manageable. Creating helps with that.

Before I knew we were going to move and while I was still being foster mum to Little Man Fergus, I had decided to use a giant cone of cotton chenille that I had found at the charity shop for 5 euro. I figured it would worm if I knitted it, so I tried crocheting with it, but wasn't happy with that. I opted for Tunisian crochet and that was the right choice. With it being cotton it is a little heavy and since it was tricky to work with I dd not want anything fussy, so I decided on a large rectangle that could be a wrap or a blanket--I have used it as both since I finished it.

I did a checkerboard pattern with Tunisian reverse and knit stitches for the centre panel and then did alternating knit and reverse on the sides. Here is a close-up of the checkerboard section:

This was my downstairs project and I picked it up and worked on it as the mood struck. When I was finished with this I still had some chenille on the cone and by this time I knew we were moving, so I made a shower mat for our new place. I STILL had some chenille left so I made some washcloths and a cowl.

Upstairs I was making socks. I'd had this pair on the needles sine around Christmas and I finally finished the second sock.

They are plain vanilla socks on 68 stitches and a 2x2 cuff. Once these were done I cast on for another pair and got sock one done. Sock two was on the needles when we moved and got placed in the drawer of my bedside locker to be worked on at night whilst listening to the radio or podcasts.

These were done on 68 stitches with a 2x2 cuff and a 7x2 rib on the top of the foot. Both pair have star toes.

My first new project when we got here was to make a couple of cushions for the wooden dining chairs.

The top was knitted and the bottom done in Tunisian crochet. The yarn and the foam cushions were charity shop finds--the wool in Killybegs and the foam in Donegal Town.

As usual I have a couple of projects going and many more ideas in my head. I cannot imagine what would be going on in there if I did not have these ideas, but I am grateful I do not have to find out!

This and That

I love it that almost all rentals here come fully furnished, right down to kitchenware and utensils. Saves the hassle of having to wrap and pack that stuff when moving and it meant we could come here with very little and not have to buy stuff. This place even had sheets and towels in the closet--it used to be a holiday home, I think. I packed them away since we have our own. There was one small problem though.

Happily, this was easily solved.

In both Ballinrobe and Killybegs I used the rack of the broiler pan as a cooling rack, since I never used it for anything else. I do not have one here so have had to improv.

There was a splatter screen in the cupboard, so I stick it on top of my slow cooker so air can still circulate and use that. Works well.

It was census night here on Sunday. Interesting process--it is done every 5 years here and by law, the enumerator has to make face-to-face contact with someone from each household and hand them the form. The questions are answered on a particular night, in this case 24 April. There were questions about who was in the home on the night, who was not there but usually would be, and who was there but usually would not be! Even people in hotels were going to be asked to do this. They say that everyone has a legal obligation to fill out a form and there could be a fine of up to 44,000 euro for not filling it out. I am not sure how seriously people take this, since enumerators were having trouble getting into apartment buildings and even having people open the doors! One guy talked about how he would ring the bell and see people inside, but they ignored it. One woman walked up to the door and pulled down the shade over the window in the door. He waited outside one building for 40 minutes before he either gave up or got in--I forget.

The form itself was pretty clear though, and with just the two of us it did not take long to fill out. I was particularly pleased that they clarified question 13. Avoids any confusion for the men out there:-)

Shore Walk in Photos

We are back online now and have been in Moville 4 weeks today. The move itself was a little bit bumpy, but I will save that story for another day!

We had a typical Irish multi-season day today. This morning as we were on our way home from a few errands, we got rained, hailed, and snowed upon. By this afternoon we were walking along the shore and wandering around a few of the beaches under dramatic clouds and sunshine.