31 May, 2010

Rest in Peace, my darling.

This heart of mine is so heavy today. I've been trying to distract myself with other things... like making an apron, going to the car-boot sale with my husband, reading into the wee hours of the morning, and today i even played on the Wii... But i can't help but revisit the terrible news i received last night.
My sweet, sweet second cousin Evan died on Friday. He was in his early twenties - far too young to leave this world.

Each time i visited Kansas to see my dad's side of the family, Evan was there. Most people aren't close with their second cousins... My case is a different one for sure. My parents were older when they adopted me, so in turn - my cousin Lori's son was closer to my age. Since we were the only ones around the same age at family functions - of course we became close!
We used to spend hours together talking, laughing, sharing our "deepest secrets" in his room or in my Aunt's swimming pool. Our birthdays were one day apart, which we thought was funny although he was four years my junior. We'd play computer games together. He would generously share all his cool gizmos and toys with me. I'd help him clean his fish tank. We would make up songs on the harmonica together, listen to music as we got older. When i visited Kansas with my car, we drove around together talking, and listening to the radio. We'd laugh together and we shared a common bond when both of our parents had died (his dad, and my mom - separately, but very close in time-frame) - we held each other and cried together. Incidentally, we ended up being very close - unfortunately, we were caught up in our own lives and we were so far apart that we didn't talk often - but when we were together it was like not a day had passed.

I don't even know why, when we both became more technically advanced - with facebook, emails, and texting right at our literal fingertips ALL the time, we didn't communicate more often...

The news of Evan's death hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm still trying to catch my breath.

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Evan's Obit, from The Leavenworth Times:


Leavenworth, Kan. -
Evan Norwood
21, Leavenworth

Evan James Norwood, 21, of Leavenworth, passed away Friday, May 28, 2010, at his home.

He was born Aug. 19, 1988, in Leavenworth, the son of James A. and Lori A. (Foster) Norwood.

Evan is survived by his mother, Lori A. Norwood of Leavenworth; his sister Jessica A. Norwood and fiancé Mike Frederick; his niece, Layla Frederick; his grandparents, Larry and Tegwin “Ann” Foster and Kenneth and Mary Norwood; and many cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.

He attended Leavenworth High School where he was active in the Pioneer Band. He was very gifted with music. He played the piano, trumpet and trombone. Evan loved his family, especially his niece Layla. He also cherished his long-time friends.  Some of his fondest memories are of the time spent fishing with his dad who preceded him in death on July 9, 2006.

Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 1, 2010, at St. Casimir Catholic Church with Rev. Phillip Winkelbauer as celebrant. Burial will follow at Mount Muncie Cemetery. The family will receive friends for lunch at the church following the burial. Arrangements entrusted to R.L. Leintz Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to Leavenworth High School Pioneer Band, St Casimir Catholic Church or the Leavenworth Cruisers.

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"Be Still My Soul"
  Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

  Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

  Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last
 Text: Psalm 46:10
Author: Catharine Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1752, cento
Translated by: Jane Borthwick, 1855
Titled: "Stille, mein Wille"
Composer: Jean Sibelius, b. 1865, arr.
Tune: "Finlandia"

30 May, 2010

thrifty homemaking: Apron!


Check out my new apron! All the edges are rounded (please ignore the fact that my left pocket is lower than the right... i asked my husband about it and he said one was higher, so i lowered the other... and accidentally took it TOO low. Oh well. I made the pattern myself. Thrifty win #1.

I've not been able to find a fabric shop in town that sells cottons - only sturdy upholstery fabrics (which might suit a need later...) so i've been purchasing duvet covers from the local charity shops. The great thing about these duvet covers is that they're all one length of fabric just folded in half and serged up the sides, hemmed and buttoned (or snapped) at the top. So not only do i get about a TON of fabric for €2, but i get about 10+ buttons too. So someday if i ever need buttons... i'm set. Cheap fabric = Thrifty win #2.

The green line around the waist and pockets is thrifted from a vintage pillow case that V brought from Poland. Free fabric = Thrifty win #3.

V's mom saw my apron over skype today and asked me to make her one (only, about 4 inches shorter since she's only 5'2"). I have an orange and yellow color combo (both duvet covers from the charity shops!) that she likes and i think for hers i'll stick to square edges... Round was fun, but i kept worrying about making the edges perfect! And for what?! in the photos above, they look wonky so... oh well. I love my apron nonetheless, and haven't taken it off since i completed it this afternoon :)

Now i'm thinking about possibly drawing out a pattern, writing up directions (with photos!) and possibly selling it in my etsy shop (which currently has ONE item in it... haha). We'll see about the pattern though. I have never written one before... and i hate interfacing - so i never use it, but apparently people think it's the most important think in the world! Maybe it is. I just haven't seen "the light" yet.

Opa!

I watched my first ever Eurovision contest last night. Apparently it's a contest, where each country in Europe sends forth their best artist to represent the country, and they all perform together. Then each country's audience (watching it live from home) get's to text or call in their votes. In the end, they're all tallied and one country comes out on top! The next year, the winner's country gets to host the contest in their capitol.
It was fun to watch! V and i actually were able to stream it live on the internet, which was great, since we don't have TV reception.

Germany was the winner this year. I must say that the song is catchy (to me), but the singer is SO AWKWARD! hahaha! It's a cute awkward though. Have a look:



The song that stick in my head though, was Greece's "Opa!".  For your own sanity though - just forward the video to 1:28 and save yourself a bunch of videography relating to nothing more than random close ups of the performers' body parts.


I can't help myself. The song is so upbeat... even if the dancing is a bit... well... reminiscent of Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC.

Belgium had a great song. The message is great:


Poppy, but i know that it will probably catch on.

Azerbaijan's Safura definitely was chanelling Beyoncé in her music video. They were voted in the top 5, i think... It surprised me because the first half of the voting left them way behind. But as they say, "It ain't over 'till it's over."


And of course, I must tell you the worst. UK! AHH! Nothing against the UK but yikes. This has to be the most boring song ever... and what are your little dancers doing there, buddy? Makes me think of Grease. I'd love to share the video with you here, but alas. I am not finding it on YouTube - but if you want to waste some minutes in your life, by all means - look it up.

But enough with my critique...
I really enjoyed Eurovision overall, and look forward to watching it more in the future!

27 May, 2010

Help me win?

It only takes two clicks - but read this blog first ;-)

Click Number One: click here.
Click Number Two: Vote for your favorite photo - hopefully it is mine... haha It is entitled "gifts of the morning"

I would LOVE to win this (it would be my first ever win in a photo competition) and you could help!

Let me know if you vote, leave a comment for me here!

26 May, 2010

Reclaiming the land!!!

That's right! I am reclaiming the land. As i mentioned in a previous post, i let my garden get a little overgrown. I was afraid of the nettles.
I wont even lie. I was also afraid of the dirt under my fingernails. This surprised me!!! I dont mind getting dirty at all - but the dirt under my nails! AHH! no matter how short i keep them... it's inevitable. I just hate it. It feels weird, looks gross... it was a hindrance to my garden-keeping. BUT! i found a solution! Garden gloves! yaaay! They dont keep all the dirt out, but the amount of dirt under my nails is significantly decreased, therefore making me functional in the garden. Isn't that silly?

On sunday, i got into a gardening mood and decided to reclaim the land that had been overgrown. Just look at this mess!


Not that long ago you could see the boxes! And you can in the photo, but before i tromped on all the weeds (which were waist high) and pulled out several handfuls, you could barely make out that there was a purpose for this area of land. The weeds had almost completely overtaken my garden boxes too! Little sprigs of ivy had grown up and around many of my onion and garlic plants!! boo.
I spent a good while ripping out weeds and carefully unwinding ivy from my plants. BUT i have reclaimed the boxes and they are still going strong!
Our strawberries and gooseberry bush are doing grand:

Because of our de-motivation, we didn't finish planting everything either. Yesterday i planted more onions (red, this time! we love onions) and my friend in Lismore gave me some more plants on my visit. I now have one corn plant (which will be just enough for us), one tomato plant (which will not be enough - but i'm skeptical of the fruition of tomatoes in Ireland. This summer is predicted to be the wettest yet, which means no sun for tomatoes!), some borage, a pepper plant (since mine never grew - they were some of the seeds i DID plant), some courgettes (also, mine DIED!), a hot chili plant, and some oregano!

I never took photos before, because it was an eyesore - but there was this space right in front of our patio that was used for planting. It had been let go though and not only did the mints take over, but it was a completely wild bed. The soil wasn't too deep either, so i threw the idea around of making a new garden there.
It sat...
and sat....
and sat some more........
Until the other day when i decided to just weed it. I pulled out everything, including the old ugly boards that were meant to be containing the dirt. I let it rest for a day (haha. the soil was resting, not me... oh noooo.... lol) then hauled in some dirt that had been originally intended for the big garden.
I lined the new garden with discarded pieces of broken cement, and planted a handful of plants in the space! i think it looks beautiful!
I even have sticks for when the beans grow. Yes i planted more than 5 beans. hahaha! I planted the rose in the corner next to the walkway (it was suffering the fate of a plant in a too-small pot), and it already looks a bit happier. I'm really looking forward to when the rain comes and flattens the soil a bit. The local cats are only too happy to use this as a litter box, as i discovered this morning *grumble grumble*

Looking forward to garden fresh goods!
How's your garden coming? i would love to see photos! post a link to your blog or photos in the comments!

Wash Wednesday

Today's Wash Wednesday photo was inspired by GardenMama's photo challenge.

Washing clothes here has been a completely new experience. In the states, i would just throw my wash into a machine, dryer, fold (sometimes)...

Once, while living in Ohio, the dryer broke in the community laundry room. "OH NO!" i cried! I had to bring my laundry into my apartment and drape it over chairs, on hangers, over bed rails, and anywhere else i could imagine. Laundry was literally strewn amongst my apartment like my laundry basket had exploded. It took almost an entire 24 hours to dry all my laundry that way.
When i was a kid though, we (my mom and i) would go visit my brother in Idaho. In their house, they saved electricity (and kept from heating the already HOT house) by hanging laundry in the summers. I would literally spend hours out laying under the swaying clothes listening to my discman (Usually Charlotte Church's album Enchantment) on repeat and watching the clouds while singing along.

Electricity is expensive in Ireland. We don't use the dryer unless there's some "clothing emergency" and we HAVE to have something dry within the next 30 minutes... So far, that hasn't happened - and i dont foresee any "clothing emergencies" in the future.
During the winter, we hung clothes on lines strung between two weighted down chairs in front of the fire. Since we've been here for a while though, we discovered a hook from which we can hang laundry on a line indoors when it rains... but it hasn't rained in a week!
I have enjoyed hanging our clothes outside on nice days this summer. It takes me back to summers spent with my family in Northern Idaho. Good memories are food for the soul. Today i am full.

23 May, 2010

Sunshine!!!

(Google Image)

Ahh... glorious sunshine. We have had quite the sunny spell here. Temps in the low to mid 20's C! It's sooo grand! This weekend though, was mostly spent indoors, unfortunately (and fortunately - i burn so quickly it's almost not worth it to go out and enjoy the sun). I kept all the windows open and the nice breezes were really enjoyable. What's nice about living in a stone cottage, is that downstairs is ALWAYS nice and cool. If i get too hot working upstairs, i will just head downstairs for a bit, until i get cold. haha!

V and i spent part of yesterday at a park in Castlelyons. It was such a beautiful day and this park should be renamed to "Shannon Park", i think, because it was PERFECT for someone like me. Tons of lush, beautiful trees that shade the cool grass that sits next to a lovely sounding creek. It was a great way to spend a few hours reading a book and knitting.

Speaking of knitting!! i taught myself how recently!!! On Friday evening (or maybe it was Thursday?) i just decided "it's Time!" and picked up a pair of mom's old needles and some yarn. I opened up a book and worked away. Look!
I'm pretty stoked. To be completely honest, i am only learning to knit for ONE single reason... i fell in love with a sweater and i MUST HAVE IT!!! Problem being - it's expensive to buy already made and there's a knitting pattern! So i figure that if i learn all summer, i should be able to make it for myself by fall. Not to mention, i can (hopefully) alter it a little to be "the perfect sweater" for me! ie- make it longer. I hate when my crack shows, and i never can seem to find the perfect shirt-trouser combination. Either i have an insanely high crack (we're talking - between my shoulders) or i just buy weird clothes. I'd like to think it's neither and that's just the way fashion has gone... but nobody needs to see my butt cleavage. Crack kills, you know. At any rate, i really do buy regular jeans and avoid low-riders at all costs and i buy shirts that are long (i'm SO happy that came into fashion)... to no avail. Inevitably the aforementioned happens, and people are blinded.
Now that i've finished talking about my butt...

Also, i've been working on a friend's site - sort of a re-model type thing. I convinced her that blogs are the way to go, and i set one up for her. I have been spending the last week figuring out how to organize it and how to make my ideas come to life - and i spend a good chunk of the weekend getting it set up. Once it's finished, i might share the link here :)

Tonight, after the sun went a little lower in the sky (and i felt safe enough not to sizzle), i went out to have a look at our "garden". V and i have honestly felt a little under-excited about our gardening this year. At first, we were completely stoked about it but once we got most of the way through it, even though we had done a ton of work - we became disenchanted. It became completely overwhelming to even think about going out to the garden because it seemed the harder we worked, the more futile our efforts were against the MASSIVE amounts of nettles out there. It's seriously like a jungle.
BUT this evening i wanted to see the strawberry plants' progress so i donned the wellies and grabbed my thick rubber gardening gloves and braved the jungle. Once i carefully made my way out there (even the neighbor's dog wouldn't follow me, if that is a testament to the nettles), i saw that our strawberry plants are just THRIVING!! they're so beautiful. I'm so excited to harvest some of those beauts. As for the rest of the garden... yikes. I could barely see the boxes we built (we only planted in one)... but something magical happened inside me and i was suddenly inspired to do a bit of gardening. I weeded the planted box and tromped down all the weeds around it. I pulled out the nettles that were growing too close to the boxes and were un-trompable. I think i saved the peas... In all this sunny weather - i forgot that rain is also important! haha! I watered and pulled, and weeded... it looks so much different. I just need to keep at it.
Once i got back to the house, i ripped up the weeds and brambles that were overgrowing the apparent herb patch in front of our place. I just decided - hey! i'm sweaty. Might as well continue! I pulled up the mint that is about to go wild and everything else. I think there was a rose in there once, but it was too far gone. Almost wild. Out it came. Even though i hate to - i sprayed Round Up all over the garden area out there, so in a couple weeks i'll try to plant something nice there. We have a couple rose bushes that need to go in the ground and a few other things that will look nice (and taste nice) once they're planted. I hope and pray that this sort of motivation sticks with me for at least another couple of days. There's so much work to do. Maybe if the weather stays nice, V will help me get the garden to a state in which something will grow!
Off to make some homemade pizza with my sweetheart before snuggling in to watch something (or read something) together for the evening.

How was your weekend?

18 May, 2010

Today...

just a little bit of Shannon's world for the day:


Outside my window: The neighbors are working. Digging, building, using the backhoe - making the property a beautiful place.


I am thinking: Man! I wish i had a weed-whacker to knock down some of the nettles that are overtaking my garden space!


I am thankful for: My sweet, sweet husband who caters to my (sometimes frivolous) wants and needs with a smile and a soft countenance and tries his very best (successfully) to make me happy. I am truly blessed.


What I'm learning: Still trying my best to learn Polish. I'm getting better at spinning wool, and now and then i pick up the knitting needles when i'm tired of crochet. I'm re-learning some embroidery, and of course, learning to be a more patient wife/woman. I'm learning that yes, my husband really does like me exactly for me (including the flaws) and that most of the time, less really is more.


In the kitchen: Leftover spinach and courgette risotto, leftover aubergine cannelloni  lasagna wraps, and a pile of dirty dishes that i really should be tackling right about now. Looking forward to our savoy cabbage wraps on Thursday!

I am wearing: Same ole same - jeans, t-shirt, and my black North Face jacket. Bare feet with flip-flops... i am cold, and i know that socks would help, but i just prefer to be barefoot. I must say - it's times like this when it's only 52F (11C) outside (ahh! in MAY!!!) that i miss the warmer climate of Ohio.
 

I am creating: Another crocheted rag rug for the front door out of a mix of colours... Purples, yellows. possibly some green and blue in there. It might not be pretty, but it will serve it's purpose :) Although, I HAVE been considering making a braided rug instead of a crocheted one... hmmmm?


I am reading: A Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy and The Host by Stephenie Meyer. One upstairs for bedtime reading, and one downstairs for other times :)

I am hoping: For answers! A friend asked me to pray for him and I keep thinking I get an answer but as always, I'm a skeptic and blame stuff like dreams on circumstance. I try to keep an open mind, but i've never claimed to be a revelator. Also, hoping that the little financial rough patch we're going through ends soon and that my residency paperwork and everything that goes with that get completed in my favor soon!


I am hearing: "Nothin' but the rain..." 
Okay that was a bit nerdy but if you got the reference, you're a nerd too and i'm not alone ;-)
But seriously... i hear the neighbors dog, the backhoe, the sounds of baby kitty as he sleeps on my shoulder... so cute!


Around the house: I need to vacuum upstairs and of course, dusting is a never ending battle to which i never seem to get ahead in. I would like to start "putting the house to bed" at night and get up a little earlier, but right now i seem to find myself in a funk that i can't escape the grips of.


One of my favorite things: Crafts. I love a good craft. Spinning has become my most recent love, but i have been enjoying making use of old jars for candles and other odd crafts lately. 


Some plans for the rest of the week: Research braided rugs as i think i might get a bigger rug out of less material than a crocheted one (as much as i love my already crocheted rag rug) and start that project, get a gift for my dad for a combination Birthday (yesterday) and Father's Day gift - and get it sent ASAP, finish laundry (which is another never ending battle), and possibly try to get my upstairs desk in order.




That about covers it. What about you?

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12 May, 2010

A little outing...

My neighbors called me asking if i would let their dog out to run about while they were gone this afternoon. When i go outside, if there's not a lot of noise (ie- the logging that happened yesterday or the myriad other sounds that come from a home being renovated...), i stuff my kitten into my jacket, zip it up, and take him for a little walk with me. Sort of like one would carry a baby with a sling - but my jacket is used instead.
Dual purpose! keeps both of us warm! yay!

So i let the dog out and went to sit on the neighbors trampoline while waiting for Jessie (the dog) do do her business. Too bad Jessie was more interested in other things...
like me:
and posing for photos:

But then! Jessie discovered that there was something interesting on the trampoline!

upon closer inspection... "maybe we could be friends?"
Maybe not...
But our kitty, Bilbo, enjoyed the time outside while the dog was busy sniffing other things...
And even went for a walk on the grass by himself until he saw the dog coming!!!
here's a video of the fun! You'll have to forgive my camera skills... they are lax. (if the video doesn't work, you can see it here instead)





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11 May, 2010

Photo of the Day!

Ok, Last post of the day, i promise (in case you just tuned in, i've done 4 today!!!)


Today on the estate where i live, was Lumberjack Day. Three fellas felled a big beautiful pine tree to keep it from falling where it shouldn't... I took about 100+ photos, but this is my favorite:

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Macro Wonderment!

I have to admit, when i got my 100mm f/1.8 macro lens... i was overjoyed and took photos of everything close up. Anything and everything. It was sooo fun! But i burned myself out on macro photos and haven't really been inspired to do any new macro sessions recently...

Until the other day...


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homemade goodness

Lots of homemade goodness has come to pass in the house of Shannon and V since my last post about a million and a half years ago... mostly just dinners. I wont lie - i've sort of been in a creative funk lately. Uninspired and not really feelin' it... but! I had a couple little breakthroughs! YAY!
Most recently, (yesterday) i thought about my mother who used to put out flowers in colorful paper cones and give to the neighbors as well as hang on our own front door on May day. People were always surprised when May first came around and with it brought my mother bearing tulips, hyacinths, and all sorts of other beauties out of her garden. As i was cleaning up, and throwing trash in the bin, i came across two metal cans from the Garbanzo beans i had made falafel with the previous night - and an idea struck me!
I decided to make a May Day basket to give to my neighbors (who happen to my our landlords) out of this lonely can.
I poked some holes in each side and curled some wire for the handle, wrapped some twine around it, and added a little personal note... then went out in search of wild flowers. I presented them with this:

They loved it! I had to explain the tradition of May Day to them... and that it's not hugely celebrated, but they thought it was charming and really appreciated it.

Also, i've been working on my spinning lately... with whatever roving i can get my hands on. I had trouble with it at first, but funnily enough, it came to me in a dream. *backstory: When i was a teenager trying to learn stick in my dad's huge lifted, extended, turbo-diesel Dodge Ram (gulp!), i just could NOT get the hang of it for some reason. Maybe it was my dad shouting at me because i ran into his imaginary cars that i couldn't see (and weren't marked) or maybe it was because like in most things - one must practice before they're perfect - but whatever it was, the concept was just. not. sticking. After a couple of hours in the empty Wal-Mart parking lot (before it was a WalMart... ) in Bonney Lake, Washington and a whole lot of frustration, my dad drove us home. A few days later i woke up inspired! I dreamed i was driving and knew what i was doing! I asked my dad to take me back to the parking lot to practice and did i hit his stupid imaginary cars, stall the engine, or grind my gears? Of course. That all comes with learning! But the point is, i understood HOW to drive a stick and it stuck!*
I had a hard time understanding how to stop my wheel from pulling the un-spun roving in too fast (or worse! breaking it!) or how to make a fairly even yarn. I wasn't even really thinking about spinning when it came to me... DRAFT all the roving first, then spin.
That was it! Later that night i drafted all my wool as best i knew how, placed it on the bobbin, adjusted my drive band tension, and away i went! i spun 500 grams of wool before i knew it! It just went soo fast!
After that, i wrapped my spun yarn around two chairs (because i do not have a niddy noddy):
Soaked it in hot water (being careful not to agitate) until it was all wet, wrung it out in the direction of the spin, and hung it to dry: 
Haha! The pan served as a weight. Soaking the yarn would serve little to no purpose (that i know of) if you didn't hang it to dry with a weight on the bottom to gently keep the curling from happening...
After it dried for several hours (overnight), i wrapped it into a skein:
And voila! my very first homespun skein of yarn! You can see that it's not exactly perfect, but that's part of the charm. I'm looking forward to making something (small) with it!

Here is a very helpful video that was exceedingly useful when i couldn't figure out how to wrap my skein by hand. Additionally, it confirmed the idea of wrapping the yarn around a chair (since i have no niddy noddy) and provided a couple helpful tips (if you can get past the music blaring in the background! yikes!)



09 May, 2010

Adventure day!

V and i took advantage of a gorgeous day here in Ireland and visited The Towers near Lismore, Co. Waterford. It was fantastic!!! We had a lot of fun together taking photos and walking around.
After that, we went to The Vee... aptly named as two large hills come together at the base looking like... well... you get the idea.
On our way there... 
And finally....
The Veeeeeeeeee!!! Nice, eh?
When we left The Vee, we went to Mt. Mallery Abby, which wasn't too far away. It was beautiful! 
We stopped in their cafe where i nommed a magical GF muffin!
Then to end our adventure, we met up with our friend M for a pint in a Lismore pub. This photo was taken by her:
'Twas a grand day in the land of ire... and i'm glad ye were able to look over me photos. :-P

05 May, 2010

mmm! Dust and mold! my favorite!

C'mon! tell me you're not always excited to see this little guy:

(image found on Google... anyone know the source?)
ewww.
About two years ago i discovered i have an allergy to dust. It took me forever to figure out what caused my allergies but sure enough! Whenever i vacuumed or dusted, even when i snapped dry clothes before folding them (and definitely when i empty the dryer lint catch) i was affronted by a fit of sneezing, itchy nose, runny eyes... not such greatness. At one point i discovered that i got especially allergic when i went to bed. Eventually i discovered that it was my PILLOW that caused such misery. When i got a hypoallergenic pillow for Christmas the following year, it was the most magical discovery ever!
But what can i do now? I live with a fireplace and dust is quite a common occurrence in our home. If i kept up with it meticulously i'd be dusting all day every day.
Another thing we seem to have a problem with is mold. Not the kind that grows on our food, but the kind that is a lovely shade of black and likes to grow anywhere with the most remote amount of dampness. Yikes!!!
All i can hope for is a de-humidifier to fall out of the local tree and land in my bedroom!

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