lost hour

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clocks go forward, Dublin, Ireland, lost hour, summer-time, timekeeping

At one o’clock this morning summer time arrived and made us all skip an hour to make the evenings longer and brighter. And while this may sound like a great idea as someone who tends to be always ten minutes late losing an hour can cause all sorts of havoc with my timekeeping.

Of course I wake up much later as my body clock has no idea that summer has come and just as I finish breakfast I realise lunch isn’t too far off – which means I’ll skip it.  So as I sit and correct the sun outside my door beckons me out and I know I won’t be able to resist, meaning I won’t get everything done today – the lost hour at night claiming time during the day.

I know of course in a day or two things will be back to normal and the lost hour will disappear until we regain it again in October, that one hour of extra sleep we all enjoy so much when the days grow darker and colder. But until then I play catch up on myself and  abandon my desk to enjoy a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon.

summer time tells me it’s one hour later than yesterday

a cloud of sun

Tags

daffodils, flowers, home, photo, photography

With spring slowly scaring away the winds of winter it feels like the whole world is cheering up. So to cheer up my own home I decided to buy some happy daffodils to sit on my table. Now, when the sun shines in through the window, it’s as if a cloud of sun has moved in and I can’t help but smile.

a cloud of sun on my table

bright flowers and dark November mornings

Tags

christmas cactus, photography, photos, Schulumbergera, winter cactus

For the last week or so I have been watching my Schulumbergera (Christmas cactus or winter cactus) sprout buds. first they were pale pink that  deepened as the bud grew. And yesterday – finally- most of the buds exploded into a glorious display of magenta coloured blossoms.

The plant sits on the windowsill by the stairs and is one of the first things I see when I get up in the mornings. Now a riot of colour cheers up my cold, dark November mornings.

Growing up my mum always had Schulumbergera  somewhere in the house. The one I remember most was in the corner of our dinning room. So in most of my grown-up homes I too have had a Schulumbergera of my own. Sometimes they haven’t been very happy and have denied me their blossoms but for the last few years the one on my windowsill seems to be very happy and blossoms a few times a year.

So as time is counting down until Christmas (a little over four weeks left) and the days are becoming darker I think I will just take pleasure in my Christmas cactus and remind myself that sometimes all we need is a little bit of colour to brighten up our days

first fire of the season

Tags

autumn, carbon monoxide alarm, chimney sweep, fire, fire place, home, luck, turf

I love the open fireplace in my living-room, there is just something so relaxing about sitting in front of a blazing fire while enjoying a cup of tea. I love watching the flames dance as warmth and the fragrant smell of turf fills the room.

So on Saturday night the chimney sweep came to make sure it would be safe to light a fire. I was amazed how quick and efficient he was and I was even more amazed how little soot came down and how quickly he had the whole thing tidied up again. He even fastened a carbon monoxide alarm to the wall to keep me safe.

Yesterday evening it was finally time, I made myself a cup of tea, lit a match and ignited a fire. I then spent the evening with my feet up enjoying my first fire of the season, reading, knitting and watching TV.

The only problem was that it was so cozy and lovely that I stayed up well beyond my bedtime hours. Now I hope that the chimney sweep left some of his luck behind and this week will be filled with wonderful surprises.

first fire of the season

friendly Sundays

Tags

Dublin, friends, guiness, local, local pub, pints, Sundays

Sundays are the days I often spend on my own, reading, cleaning, watching good/bad TV and more often than not I begin organising the week that lies ahead. But yesterday afternoon I broke from habit and met up with a friend in our local pub.

Since I’m not a big fan of beer a drop of blackcurrant into my Guinness sweetened the deal and I enjoyed the malty taste. We sat and chatted over an early pint and met a few colourful locals.

Some football was on the big screen but most sat and talked, a family with three kids sat in the corner sharing packets of crisps while the parents each nursed a pint. Three hipsters chatted in muted tones, there hair perfectly coiffed their trousers pulled low. Tucked away in a corner a couple of old men in their Sunday best talked about racing their faces wrinkly from past smiles, their hands hugging their pint. At the bar some scaffolders, razor blade bald and full of banter making fun of everyone who dared enter but making more fun of each other.

So while you won’t be finding me down in the pub every Sunday it was great to get out and jump into something new and enjoy a Sunday afternoon with friends. So maybe every now and then I’ll wander down for a pint and a bit of banter and turn my local into a place to discover more about Dublin life.

a pint with a friend

 

autumnal window sills

Tags

autumn, autumnal, flowers, gardening, heather, home, photography, photos, planting, window sills

There is no denying it, the summer has left and autumn is in full swing, leaves are falling and the flowers on my window sill have been looking more than a little bit miserable of late.

So on Sunday afternoon I decided to spend the afternoon in the autumn sun and do a few spadefuls of gardening and add a bit of autumnal flair. I re-potted, cut back, planted and dug up and a few purple heathers later and my window sills looked so much better, spruced up with spruces.

I dosed  everything in water and this morning I gave the new plants another cold sip of H20, the perfect excuse to spend a few minutes out doors when the world is just waking up.

Now, when I look out the window I feel so much better  and think I’ll add a few winter pansies in the coming days to liven up my window sills  even more. If the weather stays as mild and the sun comes out this afternoon I may even enjoy a cup of tea on my bench surrounded by purple.

a little bit of purple to brighten up the grey days

 

urban gardening

Tags

after-hours mutant, city living, Dublin, gardening, photography, photos, plants, sunshine, urban gardening

Like so many city dwellers I don’t own a garden, only windowsills and a bit of pavement. While that does bring the advantage of not having to cut grass or weed it also means fewer flowers and no trees.

Since the weather has been so lovely I abandoned my cleaning (yes, half way through dusting the lure of the sun was too strong to withstand) and took a trip down to a garden center with one of my neighbours. We had some lunch and emptied out our pennies and stocked up on  a few plants.

Back on the street we weren’t the only ones  enjoying the outdoors and soon the neighborhood felt like a Italian piazza – everyone was sitting out enjoying the sun, chatting to each other and  enjoying food and drink on their doorsteps.

Now all I can hope is that the sun stays around for a while allowing me to enjoy my blue bench and my very own urban gardening.

brightening up the street

urban gardening

to dust or not to dust

Tags

clean home, cleaning, dust, dusting, home, house, photo, quote

We’ve been having the most beautiful weather for the past week and with that my household duties have been more than just neglected – forgotten and ignored would be more apt. But since my mother will be visiting for a few nights and the sun is exposing all that the shadows normally hide I think it is time to whip out the duster and get to it.

The only problem is that I hate dusting – cleaning in general. After all it always feels somewhat pointless, as as soon as you put down the broom dust begins to accumulate again. And then of course there is the added issue of small urban dwellings, with dirt literally just outside your door and fumes in the air it is hard to keep those floors sparkling and shelves polished.

But since I do have a lot of knick-knacks, bric-a-brac or memories stored in items dotted around the place, dusting always turns into somewhat of a marathon. Maybe that is what so many chose to live with ‘clean lines’ and ‘white surfaces’  and avoid the more cluttered up look. However no matter how appealing that may seem when it comes to cleaning I love surrounding myself with bits and pieces of my life and don’t think I’ll ever change that.

And as much as I hate cleaning, I do love a clean and tidy house.  So with that in mind I’d better put on my bandana and dust the morning away. With the help of some loud sing-a-long music I’m sure I’ll have dusted away the cobwebs in no time – and who knows, maybe by doing so my mind will be free to allow an uncluttered path for my still absent muse.

The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.

Marie Kondo

getting ready to swing the mop

new day – new tablecloth

Tags

flowers, home, home made, memories, photo, photography, tablecloth

Easter is over and with it all of my decorations have disappeared. Last night, after a friendly drop in and chat, I decided it was time for a change and took down everything Easter, stored them away in a box for next year.

Since my friend had presented me with a bunch of springtime flowers and my mother had made me a gift of a home-sewn table runner I knew exactly what I wanted on my kitchen table. I put the flowers into an old stoneware jug – red with white hearts – that use to stand on a shelf in my mothers red and white kitchen – childhood memories embedded in its sturdy shell.

So this morning, as the sun bathed my home with warm spring light, the tablecloth and flowers made me smile. There was something just so cheerful at how the tulips bobbed their heads at me and how neat the runner sat on my table.

A new day – a new tablecloth … what could go wrong?

so cheerful – the red jug use to live in my mothers kitchen so I found it fitting it should stand on her tablecloth

 

getting ready for Easter

Tags

decoration, Dublin, Easter, flowers, home, narcissus, photo, photos

Easter always seems to come at the wrong time and this year is no different. While on the one hand I am so looking forwrad to spending a few days off and catching up with my writing, on the other hand Easter always means we only have a few weeks of the semester left.

To me this means piles and piles of corrections and motivating students to get their work done, which can be very tricky as attendance tends to drop when the temperatures begin to rise. And this year it also means I have to hand in my own work for my Masters.

So, while the world around me paints eggs and searches of Easter nests hidden in the garden I rarely even get around to putting up many decorations. But this year I am determined to celebrate Easter with a few chocolate eggs and seasonal flair.  I have unearthed the purple Easter tablecloth my Aunt made several decades ago, hung a few hand-painted eggs in my window, bought some potted Narcissuses (or is it Narcissi – possibly both) and I even treated myself to some easterly treats.

Now Easter can come and I won’t feel left out!

my Easter table

Narcissus close up

Narcissus close up