Good Neighbours and Good Friends

About 8 years ago, just after my daughter was born - a dear family friend gave me this card -
"A laugh is the shortest distance between two people". I have treasured this card for years and to this day it is pinned up in my bulletin board because it reminds me of this wonderful exuberant woman- who I absolutely adore but now that I live in Ireland don't get to see as often. She is a true character - full of life and has a wonderful laugh and I treasure the friendship that I have with her.
So this leads me to friendships in general especially between women but also between couples and families and children.
Last weekend our neighbours had a joint communion/confirmation party for their two children. All the neighbours got together and made various dishes - while the family was at the church - we invaded their house - set up chairs, hung bunting, put out bouquets of flowers, borrowed plates, platters and silverware from the various houses, brought in ice - you name it. When they returned from the church - everything was ready to go.

My contribution was my "signature" pasta salad....it is so simple and so well loved.
Really simple:
1 packet pasta - I find fusilli works best because the dressing gets into all the coils.
1 jar of grilled red peppers - best are the large jars at Lidl.
1 jar of sun dried tomatoes
1 red onion - sliced (put in a bowl and marinate in red wine vinegar for about an hour before you put it in the salad - this softens them and creates a wonderful flavour)
1 jar of pitted olives - any kind are fine - slice them up
1 packet of feta or 1 if you like feta
for vegetarians - keep like this but you could also ads slices of chorizo or salami for additional flavour.
Dressing;
3 parts olive oil to 1.5 parts vinegar - (I use either red wine or balsamic vinegar) - for a big salad like this you'll need about 6 tablespoons of olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
ground pepper to taste

I also made this very simple dip for this platter of veggies.
1 container of fat free yogurt
2-3 tablespoons of fat free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
chili powder or curry powder to taste

We live in this really unique neighbourhood - we moved in almost three years ago and literally across the street lives my husband's childhood friend - they lived side by side on Silver Street in Nenagh growing up. He and his wife will have been married 10 years in September and have three children. Two doors down are another couple, married 10 years in July and have two children. Next door to them, another couple, married 10 years in January with two children. And around the corner, a single mum with a son and they complete our little group.

The children all play together out on our green or in the street playing curbs. And all of us parents/adults get along famously well. We share the latest dish we've cooked up - drop in pieces of a new cake we've made - we borrow all kinds of things from wheelbarrows to spades or firelighters and we all take turns minding the gang of kids that run wild outside. If I ever need to pop out to the shop - I just get another mum or dad to mind Sophia and off I trot without a worry in the world.
Community and neighbours are so important because they provide such a core network of support - especially through this recession when we are all feeling the pinch at times and all have similar worries about jobs and how the kids are doing in school. Sit out on the stoop with a few of them over a glass of wine and the troubles of the world melt away.
This is my little tribute to my neighbours and my friends who are a very valuable part of my life - thank you for all that you do to make every day that little bit easier.

Getting out into the Garden

It is supposed to be an absolute scorcher here in Ireland this weekend. It was quite humid yesterday and the kids, were sweltering in their school uniforms - completely unaccustomed to the change. My daughter must have eaten about 4 ice pops in the space of an hour getting out of school. Today she will be armed with a big jug of water as will I as I head into Limerick. Not that I'm complaining, we'll enjoy it while we can. Busy at a neighbours communion party tomorrow, I'm looking forward to Sunday to getting out in the garden.

I bought two new large established Lupines on Wednesday to add to the garden - my front garden was dug up two weeks ago to refresh the border and while it looks great, it needs some more plants to fill it out a bit. The back garden is finally getting more established but I want to invest in some more perennials so that the borders are overflowing with a variety of colours at different times during the summer.

I
I've got to get out and take some photos of the front of the house because we are painting the front door and fence in a Farrow & Ball lichen green. I'm so excited as it will dramatically change the look and complement the colours of the garden and the paler green we have on our wall.

In addition, I finally found a metal garden archway at McGill's Garden Centre on the N7 heading into Limerick (just after Birdhill) so that will be the next investment - unfortunately it has been painted black but I think the Lichen Green will look fabulous on it as well and then I'm growing honeysuckle and climbing roses up it for a lush and slightly wild cottage garden look.

Hope you all have time to get out into your gardens - any suggestions for great perennials that are easy to care for and have huge impact - let me know!

All photos featured here are from the May 2010 issue of Country Living, UK. Photographs by Jason Ingram.

Yesterday morning I headed out early for my pre-work walk. As usual my faithful companion Sugar was jumping in the air with delight once she knew we were heading out. I was a bit earlier than usual so it was quieter and while overcast, a beautiful morning. It had rained in the night so the ground was damp and had that wonderful earthy smell plus the air was laden with the scent of lilac which are in bloom all around Nenagh. I really must plant a lilac in our garden but they do grow quite large in time so planning that is a little bit of a predicament. I think it will have to be our front garden as in time it will add privacy and more curb appeal.
As usual, my favourite magazine, Country Living is inspiring me at this time of year. The May issue has their Gardening Special so I've been going through each page with delight and soaking up any ideas for my own garden.

For today's post I've pulled some images out of an urban 1920's apartment in Montreal. The clever decorating makes it feel like the city is miles away. All the Charm of the Country was photographed by Donna Griffith - the apartment is owned by Nicola Marc, who was a former homes and gardens assistant at Country Living lending much more understanding to the wonderful English country feel inside.

As this was the couples first home, flea markets and junk shops became their favourite haunts and they also re-envisioned some of the furniture left behind such as the dining table and chairs. With a fresh coat of paint they were revitalized on a small budget.

The kitchen has a simple slate floor and the cooker is from the 1950's adding to that vintage charm. They built plenty of cupboards to store and display Nicola's extensive collection of china, jelly moulds and vintage mixing bowls.

A soft pale palette including lilac, pale blues and chalky neutral runs throughout all the rooms which adds light and calm to the spaces. The mix of fabrics and weathered pieces of furniture help complete the sweet country charm.

Personally, as you know, I'm a huge fan of mixing old and new and I actually think when you do have a tight budget, as we did when we moved to Ireland. You are more creative- you think outside of the box and find ways to create great style with less money. It's more fun too!

Bathroom ideas

A big luxurious bathroom is quite a treat. These from the pages of House Beautiful magazine gave me some inspiration over the weekend. The one above and below, photographed by Simon Upton, has a wonderful sense of light. The bath, from Waterworks, was enclosed in old barn siding giving it the feeling of being an old watering trough.

I love the natural stone and the deep tub in this one, below. Photographed by Thomas Loof.

In a guest bathroom, there is a dark moodiness with the chocolate walls and the sink built into a console. But it still feels light and inviting. Love the detail on the floor. Photographed by Peter Estersohn.

I dream of re-doing our family bathroom someday. Not that it's that bad but I'm not a big bath person personally so I'd like to renovate it to have a bigger shower. I love soft natural stones and would love to incorporate more light without losing privacy. I think here in Ireland, some underfloor heating for the tiles would make a huge difference as well and a heated towel rail. That would start the mornings off right.

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

Continuing along those thoughts I had earlier in the week. Last night I read this book to Sophia - Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon, Written by Patty Lovell and Illustrated by David Catrow. We read usually every night either a chapter from a book that we are slowly working our way through or most recently we've been going through her extensive library of good picture books. Since I'm such a book fanatic - I'm constantly building her library and much to my delight she loves books as much as I do.

It's one thing for an adult to consciously know they may be risking compromising their own standards for the sake of a job but how do you teach a child who is growing and learning how to be true to themselves? There are so many temptations and risks and as a parent you hate to see them get hurt but of course know that sometimes it is necessary (if not too big a risk) as this is all part of the learning.

Of course, reading inspirational books like this one is a great way to get these all important messages into their spongy brains. And I suppose it even gets the adults thinking as well.

Molly Lou Melon is an exceptionally small little girl- she's called shrimpo - she has buck teeth and sings "like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor." But her wise grandmother always tells her to just be herself and the world will respect that. And while the other kids in school challenge her and tease her - she stands tall and sticks up for herself and never bats an eye lid. And guess what? Her grandmother was right.

Is my message sinking in yet? Be true to yourself!!!

Women on Top

I was talking to a friend of mine over the weekend who is not particularly happy with her job. She's trying her best and loves aspects of it but other aspects just don't jive with her moral ethics and in order to do the job better or "play the game" she feels she'd have to compromise those.

There's nothing worse than compromising yourself for a job- although we all are guilty of it as we have a bigger fear of being without a job. So wouldn't it be great to create a job for yourself that reflects everything you are and believe in?

Last week I went to a lecture given by Margaret Heffernan. She has been the CEO of 5 different businesses in the USA and the UK. She's also the author of several books including Women on Top which details the amazing stories of highly successful women entrepreneurs, who when they found themselves frustrated or not being heard at their jobs, went out and created their own companies. Many of the companies fill niches in the market that could go undetected - but they've tapped into them and created very lucrative businesses out of them. Not only do they make money but they run their companies in a very different way from men and because of that their success rates are very high.

Here are some amazing facts from the book that I found really interesting ........

"40% of all privately held U.S. firms are owned or controlled by women. This represents 10.4 million firms.

Between 1997 and 2004, privately held, women-owned businesses grew at twice the rate of all other U.S. firms.

Women's companies are creating jobs at twice the rate of all firms and are now responsible for more payroll than all of the Fortune 500 companies combined.

Women's companies are growing profits faster than all firms.

Women's companies are more likely than others to stay in business, while companies owned by women of color are four times as likely as others to stay in business.

Every day in America, 420 new women owned businesses are formed".

So, I think my friend needs to get out there and start her own business! I'll be passing along this book to her when I'm finished for inspiration. But it makes me think how important it is to be passionate about what you do for work- because work is always going to be hard, tiring and challenging but if you love it- the battle is won.

For more about Margaret Heffernan and the book, go to http://www.mheffernan.com.

Avoca At Last!

The day Sophia and I went to the Titanic exhibition - we stopped into Avoca right on the M7 for lunch afterwards. I'd always wanted to stop in there but I'm always heading into something in Dublin or desperate to stay on the road home. This time it worked out perfectly as that is the exit for the Titanic.

It's a large modern building with formal manicured gardens except for the little garden centre which is part of the store.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day and as we were there early we got to sit out on the big terrace and soak in as many rays as possible. Sophia had a yummy Spag Bol...

and I had a delicious open faced sandwich with roasted veg, couscous and a big slice of melted goat cheese on top.

Swirling above the stairway is a wonderful sculpture using mix-matched tea cups spiralling down.

Everywhere are these delightful vignettes showing off the range of products available in the store and giving you loads of ideas for combinations and display.

So good for a bit of inspiration! Of course, there is loads more - a women's, men's and kids clothing sections as well as a great kids toy section with fun of old-fashioned toys that make children use a bit of creativity.

If you are up outside Dublin - do make sure to stop into this location. It's perfect for lunch or a cup of coffee and some cake as you head back down to the country.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, there's a huge food section with take home meals - cheeses-breads, you name it.