Shall we dance ?

Driving in this morning I heard 'Shall we dance ?' on the radio every word crisp and audible. And I remembered that it was from the musical 'The King and I '. I would have heard that tune on the radio when I was a child and remember seeing the musical starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner. It's the realisation of how experiences like that tuck themselves away only to be called up at a moment's notice after years, stay with us. This is how we learn what we learn ,embedded into our sub conscious or unconscious - fascinating.

Talent Bank

When I am old I shall wear purple, and in fact any other colour or style I damn well please. I am increasingly aware of an unspoken but evident ageist agenda out there- what is the reality of a person over 50 for example who has been made redundant or 'let go' ever finding a job again ? What price the invisible woman who holds a family together and gathers her wisdom around her like a shimmering cloak which can be opened to shelter and support but who rarely recieves any acknowledgement?

Where are the women of any age on boards and bodies which make decisions afecting all our lives in this country? What about the 40% of women who should be on the boards of public bodies? Yep it seems to me that what we need is a talent bank of women who are prepared to participate in public life...I wonder how we might go about getting it ...

In search of a blue sky

Summer this year happened in May, for the second year running. I am not usually affected by the weather but I am curious about why we have had a great wodge of grey tending to black clouds hanging around for days even when it doesn't rain. True there is talk of a heatwave this month but for my part I'd be happy just to see pure blue sky one morning getting up.

Spent yesterday in the company of a Buddhist monk who was an unworldly person exuding terrific charisma from the folds of his saffron robe. I was offered the chance to rest after lunch and despite the deep smell of damp in the room I lay down pulled an old blanket over me and fell asleep for half an hour to be woken by a bell. After a day of silent meditation, I felt much more mentally alert in the evening at home.

So the major excitement of the day has been the arrival of a package from Amazon which contains among other goodies the next book club choice a Skandi thriller. Compare this with my poor old chums in Belfast who have to wade their way through Gore Vidal's Lincoln for their next get together...

Looking forward to getting into the garden later - peas and broad beans podding regularly, cream begonias have bloomed into bridal loveliness. Just needs some hoeing and weeding. And watering. And it would look really good under a blue sky so that we could feature the stripey deck chairs imported from Wicklow.

Then and now.

In this past week an old obituary of my grandfather was republished in the Irish News a Belfast daily paper. He died in 1942 eleven years before I appeared on the planet so I could never have known him. When he died my dad was 22 just finishing his medical studies. The following day in the same paper an account of his funeral was published and it was notable how the female family members didn't rate a mention among the mourners.

I sent the piece to my nephews and nieces in Canada- so far no reaction at all.

Tractor meets Golf on a country road

So there I was driving home from Ennis to Killaloe over the mountain road from Tulla to Bodyke in the townland of Ballynahinch. Just coming on to dusk with the fog lights on indicating as there was a clear road and I'd be past the small tractor in a couple of minutes. I had pulled out but just as I started to speed up to overtake him I noticed something from the left hand side then felt the impact as the tractor engaged with my car.The shock brought me up short and I stopped dead. Back and forth, back and forth he drove trying to disengage the tractor from my car tearing off my front bumper as he did so. Eventually he succeeded and drove the tractor into what I presume was his own field just past me. He was surprised that I wanted to phone the Gardai I think. I couldn't find my phone and had to flag down a passing car to borrow one. A Garda on his way home to Tulla came along the road and took all the details. The tractor had no lights and no indicators. Its owner was a man of few words but he did give me his name and details confirmed by the Garda. My own car a black Golf was drivable so I slowly drove home escorted from Tuamgraney by my husband. As I made my way a queue of traffic built up behind me and many of them frustrated by my moderate pace 'flashed' their lights. I reported the incident to the insurance company. After a hot shower I went out to my book group meeting and enjoyed the evening.

Monday,Monday

Yes a brand new week starting with Valentine's Day - a huge bouquet of roses, and a romantic dinner to look forward to next weekend! Lots of challenges this week starting with five appointments today if they all turn up which is an ongoing issue.

Perhaps we should text reminders to the Monday appointments on Fridays, as I find this helpful for other types of appointment. Must mention this at work meeting.

China is about to overtake Japan as the world's second largest economy but as older people are I believe valued in China perhaps this is no bad thing. Is it time to learn Mandarin I wonder?

Speaking of which reminds me that this Wednesday evening the Hunt Museum will feature a lecture on Istanbul which I'm hoping to attend with Heather and Melissa.

Time to start party planning for June 2011. And to attend a pre retirement course in April!

After Venice

It's been non-stop since I got home on Monday evening. The friend I travelled with had serious luggage issues and I felt like a pack horse getting through Stansted, laden with coats and an extra bag. It was all worth it though - the light on the canal as we sat up front in the vaporetto, the beautiful mysterious decaying facades of the buildings as the remarkably clean looking water ebbed and flowed round them, the arch of the Rialto bridge...and the warmth of the people especially our evening hosts in the lovely restaurant Al Convento.

What a horrible shock to learn of the plane crash at Cork Airport yesterday Thursday morning - six people from Belfast flying into Cork gone in a few minutes, in fog so dense the plane couldn't be seen from the terminal building. And two people walked away from it. My friend Jo uses that airline to fly back and forth from the Isle of Man. God rest the victims.
Today Friday I have spring cleaned my office and opened the windows and this afternoon the sun is pouring in. In spite of everything sad and bad at the moment Spring is here. 'The world is charged with the glory of God - it will flame out like shining from shook foil'- Gerard Manley Hopkins remembered.

Birthday thoughts

It's been a week of celebrations and it's not over yet! I have really enjoyed this significant end of a decade birthday and given myself up completely to celebrating it !
It's been particularly good hearing from old friends I haven't see for a while and from family members who don't usually contact me - thank you Facebook.
Still cold out there but I am noticing new shoots and realising that the days are getting noticeably longer so Spring is about to be sprung.
In the Hunt Museum at lunchtime saw Jan Morris' book Venice on sale so immediately bought a copy as I am looking forward to going there next week and seeing Padua, Venice and Verona - also listening to 'easy' Italian tape in the car, not so easy when it goes beyond repeating single words.
Bought muscari bulbs in the supermarket last week and brought them in - it's great to see them losing their green and moving gradually into blue every day at the moment.

Another Monday

So it's another Monday afternoon and I really can't wait to go home today because it's so cold in this building. I am really glad that my afternoon clients haven't turned up as they would be frozen! Thank God I am working in Ennis tomorrow and will have a new dynamic and energy to move me up there.

The story of how things have reached the stage that they have in this economy continues to unfold and perplex as it does so. How can people who have major debts in this country for which we are all now paying begin a new life as entrepreneurs in the U.S and get a U.S Visa for so doing - without prejudice as it appears.How can it become daily more evident that there was collusion between the politicians and those ruining the economy without at least causing the resignation of the politician concerned?

On the upside as I get more used to it I like using Facebook to communicate especially with distant family; it seems friendlier than email although I guess that is just perception.

What will the New Year bring? So far it's been a quiet start, back to work and full of good resolutions. What keeps us from keeping them? The comfort of old habits even if they're bad habits is surprisingly strong. It's easier to stay on the sofa than to face up to challenges that take an effort- yet that's where new energy comes from. The joy of throwing out clutter, of letting go of legacy items, of feeling lighter because those heavy old 'things' have left the house for good-even letting go of friendships that no longer fit- all of these things create space in which we can feel free. The simple power of breathing, of stepping back from impatience, of forgiving oneself for mistakes...it all feels good.

New Year's Day

It's been a mild day with the sun trying to break though as we walked from Killaloe to Ballina Marina and back. There has been no 'development ' of multi storey apartment blocks at the Marina so far but it all looks run down and on the verge of dereliction. Looking down on the river and upwards towards the lake was magical, and strange to see ice still floating on the surface of the canal. Waterways Ireland seems to be constructing a walkway along there although the work is proceeding very slowly.

This evening we will pay our last respects to Frida who after a long and heroic battle with cancer finally came to rest on December 30th. May she rest in peace, and may her courage and thought for others inspire us all. Remembering death is a good way of inspiring us to live life to the full and not to waste the gift. My wish more than anything for all of us this year is to enjoy good health, both mental and physical.

Life as someone has said starts at the end of your comfort zone or perhaps when you move out of your comfort zone. I saw that in Belfast last week and the thought has stayed with me - not sure how it will manifest just yet. Blessings to anyone who reads this today.