challenging portrait

Tags

#jjcommunity, Aisling, Galway, Ireland, photo, photo challenge, photography, portrait, portrait challange

Meeting new people and connecting through creativity is one of the #jjcommunitys aims, to help with that they offer support and advice in how to perfect your Instagram and use the tools available to you.

So on Saturday, on the mystery tour, we lernt about some of the challenges a street photographer has: light, movement, unknown territory, spotting the moment before it passes and sometimes, with the help of a smile, asking for a strangers permission to photograph them.

The CEO of #jjcommunity Kevin Kuster led the group I was in through the drizzle of Galway and gave us a few challenges along the way. One challenge was to approach a stranger and take their portrait.

Never one to shy away from the unknown I took the challenge on and began to look for someone a little bit special. I saw a stunning woman across the road and drawn in by her colourful clothes and true Irish complexion I stopped her in her tracks. She was in a bit of a hurry but agreed to my proposal and I was rewarded with theses lovely portraits on a beautiful woman from Galway – Aisling: a full-time nurse and part-time model.

Aisling

politics and coffee

Tags

acedemics, coffee, coffee and donuts, Irish politics, photo, photography, politics and coffee

The Irish spring sun is showing off its rays today, and since I have some course to prepare for I have moved from my desk to the table by the window.

One of the classes I’m preparing for is all about Irish politics and how the media deals with it, so my nose is stuck in a thick academic book reading all about Ireland and the EU.  As I make slow progress over the tightly typed up pages I can’t help but feel the need for something to stop my mind from wandering off topic and out into the sunny world outside my window.

Luckily I passed a bakery on my way home from teaching today and I decided to treat myself to a rare indulgence – a sticky toffee donut – as a little pick me up for when that afternoon lull hits and steals away my concentration. So now, as I read the sometimes hard to compute academic essays on topics I need to understand a cup of hot coffee and a sugary treat helps me sweeten the time.

And who knew that coffee and politics can be a perfect combination?

sometimes the words of academia need a bit of sweetening

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

catching up on correspondence

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correspondence, letters, photo, photography, post, writing

Ever since most of my bills went digital the clack on the letter flap on my front door is rarely heard. And I think my postman must be getting bored as he doesn’t seem to need to come quite as often as he use to. But when he does, the soft thud of letters falling to the floor make me smile.

With that in mind I decided to catching up on my correspondence and spent most of Sunday evening with a pen in my hand. There is something quite rewarding about writing down your thoughts knowing someone you care about will read them a few days later (sometimes a few days more depending on the speed of the postman). Delayed gratification in the day and age of instant demands.

On a shelf in my study sits an old wooden wine box filled with cards and envelopes I’ve collected, some over years, others only a few weeks old. And part of the joy of picking up my pen and writing to friends is selecting a card that I think they’ll like, one I can see them smile about, maybe even laugh or giggle, when they open up the envelope.

Now that the letters have been written, the envelopes sealed, addressed and stamped, all I need to do is drop them into a letterbox and wait to see if I’ll get a reply.

For some it may seem odd that I enjoy the old-fashioned way of correspondence when a simple click of a mouse can send an email that will be read within seconds of writing it, but for me the enjoyment of a physical letter is much larger than a few virtual lines on screen. After all who has ever stuck a funny email up on their fridge or reread a fb message years after it was sent?

And who knows, maybe my postman will no longer be bored and have a few letters in his bag for me too. I’ll just have to wait and listen for the clack of the flap on my door and the soft thud as letters land on my floor.

a few letters ready to be sent

surprise in the post

Tags

friends, German goodies, goodies, parcel, photo, photography, post, surprise, tea

My Mondays are often filled with organizing and preparing but yesterday my usual trudge was interrupted by a knock on the door. Outside stood the postman with  parcel in his arms – a shoe box filled with goodies just for me.

Unable to hold my curiosity I abandoned all of my tasks and unpacked the parcel at once. Inside were boxes of my favourite fruity teas – a must at this time of year. Bags of licorice, some chocolates, those fizzy mineral thingies I love and a fold-up shopping bag quoting Cinderella.

My good Friend C has just come back from a trip to Germany and she was my postal fairy godmother. Not only did I feel much loved and very special that she took the time to pack me a parcel but I am thrilled how well she knows what I like.

And while I know delayed gratification is meant to be good for you I decided to not wait and indulged in a cup of tea and a treat before I went back to my desk. The perfect way to interrupt the day and an even better way to start the week!

German goodies just for me

Weekly Photo Challenge: H2O

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H2O, Isak Dinesen, Karen Blixen, photo, photography, quote, Weekly Photo Challenge: H2O

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea

author Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)

new cup – new habit

Tags

black tea, Canadian artist Frank Johnston, cups, Frank Johnston, fruit tea, herbal tea, photo, photography, tea

Habits are hard to break, even harder when you’ve had years of building up the habit. For me it was cups and cups of black tea all day long. A while back I decided I had to try and and ween myself off this caffeine inducing habit and over the summer I was able to stick to my new herbal/fruit tea regime.

But once I settled back into my Dublin life again I fell back into my bad tea drinking habit. I found it hard to resit the call of yummy Irish tea – with a dash of milk the perfect hot source of comfort.  However, since my recent Canadian visitor left a beautiful bone china cup as a surprise gift behind I have been back to drinking herbals, fruit and licorice in the afternoon, and I feel better for it.

I’m not quite sure what made me switch again, maybe it’s the pretty forest scene (Sunset in the Bush c.1918) by Canadian artist Frank Johnston that makes me what herbal over black, maybe it’s because the tea tastes so much better when sipped from fine bone china, or maybe it’s the fact that the cup is square – not round.

Whatever the reason I have been enjoying my afternoons sitting at my desk, the flavours of herbs and fruit filling my nostrils looking at a beautiful cup and remembering a good friend.

my new fine bone china cup

messy Monday

Tags

chaos, desk, messiness, monday, photo, photography, tidy desk, work

Today I spent most of my morning trying to get to grips with my messy desk. Somehow, and I do suspect some very naughty elves have been at work, piles of letters, paperwork, notebooks and newspaper clippings have been piled onto my small desk and created chaos.

So I waded my way through the debris of the weekend to unearth my to-do list and have quickly discovered that right there at the bottom I had written  ‘desk’. Such a small work encompassing so much work.

But since I hate working surrounded by chaos I have now spent the best part of the day sorting and tidying and not getting much else done. But with the clock ticking and my classes still in need of preparation I think I will just have to leave the last of the messiness until tomorrow, let the piles spill over if you will and hope that my messy Monday doesn’t turn into another dishevel day – a terrible Tuesday perhaps..

messy Mondays are not the best way to start the week

new week, new semester, new adventures

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back-to-school, college, lecturing, photo, photography, work

Monday morning and a new week begins with grey skies and a large cup of tea while I muse over my weekly planning. Today college opens up its doors again and with that lecturing is back on my agenda. Planning my week will now circle around my students and planning classes will become a main occupation again.

The summer seems to have bid its farewell and autumn already painting the leaves in shades of yellow and orange it truly does feel like a moment of changed. A new week, a new semester, new students and an entirely new course will be like a breath of fresh air and challenge me.

So as I schedule in my teaching hours and the time I need to prepare I can’t help but feel a little bit excited. After all something new and unknown always holds the possibility of adventure.

this is where I’ll be spending most of my time

visitors from afar

Tags

Canada, cosy, friends, home, Indian summer, Ireland, jet-lag, photo, visitors

The summer seems to be back for  a short visit, the temperatures are high (for Ireland) and the sun is shining more than it should at this time of year. It really is an Indian summer, the best time for a visit to Dublin.

And that is exactly what a friend from overseas is going to do as she is coming to stay for a few days. And while I am excited that she is coming it does mean I need to get the house ready for her visit and make sure I can spend some time with her and not be tied to my desk all the time.

She flew in from Canada yesterday and I am sure she’ll still be battling jet-lag when she knocks on my door, so I have made sure the bed is ready for her, clean sheets and throw pillows inviting her to lay down, creating a home far away from home. After all when you’re traveling it’s always nice to have a cosy place  to call you own.

But since I need to clear my desk and tidy up a bit before she arrives I better get my butt into gear before I greet my guest from afar. And I’ll make sure we won’t have far to go when it comes to lunch!