Oh my, my July! What a month it was. Not only did we have a glorious heatwave, but we also started meeting up again. Both were wonderful and yet a little freaky. The heatwave was like a dream come true. I even went swimming -both in a lake and in […]

Last week, an envelope filled with documents arrived from my solicitor. Along with the usual ‘sign here’ stickers, was a note to arrange a zoom call to go through it with her, which I thought was rather considerate. Once we had connected, however, it became clear that the reason for […]

I must apologise for last month’s grumpy column. It came very close to feeling hopeless, though I did finish with the hope that things were going to get better. Well, they have. Things have definitely gotten better and I can feel the difference, the relief. It’s not quite as relieving as […]

Here we go again. After a heart-lifting Paddy’s Day spent working in the garden in the sunshine, the gales are back. This time they’ve brought along some hail, just to mix things up. Spring is definitely here, but sitting inside, as the rain pummels the house, it might as well […]

It was a fitting end to winter. After freezing temperatures and a dusting of snow, the gales came in. We hunkered down as the wind screamed, the rain pummelled, and the darkness descended. We had the lights on and the fire lit all day. I have to admit that I […]

Though I have lived for nearly twenty-nine years in West Cork, I have mostly managed to retain my mid-Atlantic accent. I have however, invariably picked up on local sayings, and turns of phrase. I have often been accosted by a waiter in London, or New York and asked: “Are you […]