Marching on

Where has March gone? 

On the last day of February we travelled again to Ballyvaughan for the Concertina school.

While my husband was learning we 'wags' (haha!) were having some creative fun in our little cottage.

I first took some felt making stuff last year and all enjoyed it so this year we made flowers. Now some the actual musicians want to skip class next year and join us! 

 Here are the flowers ....

 and here they are when we remembered to remove the wine bottle!

 As far as the weather..this was the very worst week we've had. My friend and I didn't do much walking. We sat around and ate and did a bit of shopping.. well as much as you can in a tiny Irish village! Look out of that window at the hail.

Thats the bedroom in our little rented house. Its home from home and we always have the same one.

 However the Sunday at the end of the week was glorious

 We made our annual visit to the stunning Polnabroune Dolmen a couple of miles above Ballyvaughan.

 We travelled  along the coast. Look at this stunning way to make an unoccupied house look quite smart.

 The sea at Doolin was spectacular.

 These pictures are not in any particular order. I took this one to show what a wonderful place the Whisky bar is. Tea, Guinness, whiskey, wine and cake all readily available.

 My friend and I did the stunning walk along Rine (Rynn) point where a long sandbar seems to go on forever.

 My footprints

 and the curved beach at the very end. I'd love to be there in summer and maybe swim.

 On our return we were delighted to see an otter running across the sand and I was even more delighted that I had my camera in my hand.

  It was a long way off so I've cropped the picture and its quite blurry but still.....

It was a lovely week catching up with old friends . One had his birthday while we were there so we had cake and a candle. Not quite in the right proportions but its the thought that counts.

We discovered that the gravel path along the Flaggy Shore has been tarmac-ed after the terrible floods last year when most of it got washed away.

On the way back on Sunday evening we stopped by this inlet and I got out to listen to the silence.It was just going dark and the water was like mercury and much lighter than the sky.




As usual our Ferry was cancelled due to the bad weather so instead of sailing at 12 we had to wait until 9pm for the slow boat, so we tok a circuitous route to Dublin via Athlone, Roscommon, and Mullingar stopping by Lough Ree on the way .

 Someone was glad to see us when we got home! Happy to resume their positions!

I took this piece of work with me but didn't do much to it until I got back. 

I had a commission for a magazine article which I can't talk about and it was worrying me all week becasue what i did was awful.

I kept having those anxiety dreams where I'm committed to doing a terms primary teaching and I can't stop crying...you know? 

No?

Oh its just me then is it?

I couldn't do anything else until I'd addressed it. I've finished and sent it but the response has been deafening silence since so I 'm wondering if its not passed muster.

This is not it.

This is a piece that has been re-jigged and I'm quite pleased with it.

Once I finished the magazine piece I got going with brooches again. 

I had a lovely evening at Wirral branch of the Embroiderers guild last week  despite getting lost on the way here and the way back. It always happens when I think I know the way.However once there I was treated like royalty and the lovely ladies bought most of the above brooches from me.

I've just been playing since...