“I could follow you to the beginning
Just to relive the start
And maybe then we’ll remember to slow down
And all of our favourite parts”
Williams/York
Last Christmas my Soulmate and I decided to cut back on presents to each other within our family. Actually my Soulmate decided that it would be a good idea, I sulked a lot, argued, and then eventually agreed. We donated money to MSF for Palestine instead, and made presents. We made a jar of memories for each of the kids, wrote out some memories on different coloured paper and tied them up in wee scrolls and placed them in their jars.
Every so often Robyn will open one and send me a photo of it. She sent me this one this week with the comment “Love this one.” :
“Leaving you to school in St.Louis Convent, driving into the grounds , up to the church, and almost being on time once or twice. I’d wait until you were a metre or two away from the jeep and lower the windows down completely and blare out the Beastie Boys ‘Intergalactic’.
Just a wee moment in time that I giggled at then , Robyn didn’t , but finds joy in it in hindsight.
Last Saturday we had a visit from my Soulmate’s cousin from London, Michelle, and her long suffering husband Mark. We’ve all known each other forever, and although we actually meet up rarely, we are all very comfy in each other’s company.
Many moons ago Mark and Michelle came home for my Soulmate’s sister’s wedding. Ger and Dave got married just before Christmas and Mark and Michelle were home for that and decided to stay in Ireland over Christmas and tour around. Mark’s brother and a friend of Michelle’s joined them. Michelle was playing matchmaker.
We lived in Kildare at the time, and lots of people that had travelled home from England for the wedding stayed with us on their way to and from the wedding.
When Mark and Michelle , and the other couple , arrived back with us after their Christmas tour of the country, they were all quite frazzled. Michelle’s matchmaking skills had not worked their magic, and the ‘other couple’ were no longer shy about showing their true feelings for each other.
I had the perfect solution.
“Lets go to Manzor’s !”
We all walked down the road to Manzor’s and got very merry altogether. My Soulmate was keen that we go home early-ish, as she was starting work the next morning and would have to get up early for the bus.
“Don’t worry about that.” I said cheerfully. “I’ll drive you in tomorrow.”
We went home, she went to bed , and the rest of us had a night cap, then another…then one for the road…
Michelle and the ‘other couple’ went to bed , as there was no beer left. Mark and I were having a great chat. “Would you fancy a whiskey ?” I asked.
“Why not.” Mark answered.
Michelle got back up a couple of hours later to get Mark to go to bed.
“Have a whiskey with us Michelle, and then we’ll all go to bed.
“Alright then…just one.”
Three whiskeys later we were all having great craic when the door to the sitting room flew open.
“Paul , it’s 3.00 am and I have work in the morning ! Mark , you should know better, Michelle will be wondering where you are.”
Mark and I looked to the armchair behind the door where Michelle was trying to hide. Eileen followed our gaze.
“Michelle !” she said shaking her head in a very disappointed fashion.
We all went to bed.
The next morning Eileen brought me up a cup of tea.
“Thanks for the lift.” She said putting on her coat and heading for the bus.
“Wait ! I’ll get up now. I’ll only be a minute.”
“Seriously ??? You’re in no state to drive. See you later.”
I got up and dressed as quick as I could and meant to follow her to the bus stop to say ‘Goodbye’. It had snowed quite heavily overnight, so I thought it would be cute to roll a giant snowball along the footpath for Eileen. The snow was recent and fluffy, so it made a great giant snowball. But it became so large that it was taking me ages to roll it to the bus stop.
I called out Eileen’s name, just as she was getting on the bus. She half looked in my direction, shuddered , and got on the bus. The other people in the queue started to point. This encouraged me to roll it the last few metres to the bus stop. Eileen was sitting against the window, as I waved , she sunk further into her seat and pulled her scarf up.
The bus pulled away , I waved, and everyone waved back at me and my giant snowball…everyone except Eileen.
Again, just a wee moment in time that I giggled at then , Eileen didn’t , but finds joy in it….actually, maybe still too soon for that one.
We were also visited at the weekend by my evil Goddottir Eimear and her brother Barra. They’re two of Ger’s kids, and always very welcome guests. When they were kids, along with their younger brother Caolan, they spent weeks every summer here with us, and we would spend weeks with them in Wales. All of our kids map their Welsh cousins in age, so they were always a great gang together. They arrived on Saturday morning in time to run the Parkrun with me and their uncle Gareth, and then Eileen, their Aunty Kate and all the McCaffreys, and Michelle, toured around the Park where I showed them all of our Giants and pointed out bits and bobs that I found interesting. When we got to Muireann I got Shea and Ella to drop Muireann sticks in the river at her bridge, and see who’s stick got to the next bridge first.
Before you say “Isn’t that ‘Pooh Sticks’ ?” no ! It’s Muireann Sticks ! AA Milne , the writer of the Winnie The Pooh stories met William Westenra, 6th Baron Rossmore , during World War 1 , in France, and heard of Muireann sticks from him.
Anyway, Shea had a football with him, and someone dared him to drop it in the river, and when he seemed a little reluctant, “someone” tipped the ball out of his hands. Great joy ensued as the ball got stuck in the little waterfall, and my Soulmate and Barra both took their shoes off and waded into the river to retrieve the ball. They threw it on to the path and then “someone” kicked it back into the river. Eimear and Fionn lay flat on the hydraulic ram to try and catch it, but it whooshed past them. Gareth retrieved it next and then “someone” threw it back in. Shea should really hold on to it better. Fionn then waded into the river to get it , and “someone” was warned that they wouldn’t be allowed back into the Park if they touched the ball again.
Best walk EVER !
When Barra and all the kids were kids I used to tell them stories at night to try and get them to fall asleep..and because I really like telling stories, or lying to children. I told them many stories in which they featured as the Monkeyhead United football team, playing Intergalactic tournaments to save the Universe. In one story their enemy/opposition was a team of Pirates…led by the Pirate Queen…their Great Granny Clerkin. In the story she kept a treasure map in her wooden leg.
On one occasion when we went to visit her in Mill St. with all the kids, Barra kept staring at her legs. Granny Susan wore very fetching support stockings which was making it hard for Barra to determine which one was the wooden one. I whispered to him that it was the left one and that if he tapped it, it would make a hollow sound. As Granny Susan was pottering in her kitchen , getting the Viscount biscuits arranged Barra tentatively reached out to tap her leg and just as he did I rapped one of her wooden press doors, making a dull , hollow thud.
I can still see the wide-eyed smiling face of Barra as he realised that his Great Granny was indeed a Pirate.
We relived this story last Saturday and I finally broke it to Barra that his Great Granny was not in fact a Pirate, but she was a real bandit when it came to the Bingo.
Reliving old memories is fun, but making new ones is funner !
Toodles,
Paul
P.S. Having never passed much remarks on Paramore, I happened upon their 2009 album ‘Brand New Eyes, and have listened to the track ‘All I want’ a LOT !
