Saturday, April 11, 2009

400 reasons to love Kilkenny (and springtime)

Kilkenny celebrates its 400th year as a city this year and Saturday was opening day of the festivities. We walked into town to enjoy the blue skies, warm weather, blooming flowers, and, of course, U2..

We walked into town on Saturday, ran around in the castle park, drooled over the baked goods and artisan foods for sale at the farmer's market, then met up with Nana and Papa for lunch OUTSIDE at Bollard's Pub.

Bollard's is on Kieran Street, a pedestrianized lane that has become home to a number of cafes and coffee shops and also, a new Kilkenny find; the Hemporium. And it only took 400 years for that beaut to show up. (omg, I am getting old... frowning upon the patrons oogling the glass pipes and such. Le sigh) -Also note, next to the House of Wacky Tabacky is the "Playwright" Pub.. Those Guilfoyle brothers are at it again- Eamon runs the Miami Beach locale and Richie does a bang-up job here. For me, it's a little taste of home. There are 4 small tables outside Bollard's usually reserved for the desperate few that must brave the cold, damp wind for a smoke during their imbibing sessu'ns, but for that one day a year of warmth and sun...Look out sista- we were there, enjoying a Toasted Special and a front row seat to the passing street acts in town for the quadricentennial.



Our once smile-at-everyone child hated every minute. She liked to hear the drums and I saw some covert toe-tapping, but for the most part...

In a valiant effort to believe that Spring warmth is really here to stay, we bought Katie some outdoor toys. She loves playing with "VA-TA" and though Nana will let her splish and splash with her tea set at the kitchen table; mama no likey. Water, rocks and dirt are great "Outside games", as we say here at Ol' #9.

I remembered playing with rice as a kid and my friend Mary once blogged about how much her daughter loved dried beans so when I saw that bag of red lentils in my pantry...

And the asshole thing is that I really thought she would keep the legumes and water separate...

We shall be blessed with a bountiful crop of lentils this year in our garden. Soup for everyone.
And now, for your "GLIMPSE of S.I.M.P." (Self-Indulgent Mother Pride)
Note the lentil by her mouth. yeah. she ate some. It was a beautiful teaching moment.

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Post Script: The weather has been shit since Saturday. (%#@! Ireland!)

Post Script II: Perhaps the SON will come out in August... BOY! oh boy!... wouldn't that be a nice addition to the Walsh family? Too bad the delivery won't come by male.. (if you voted hot dog - you were right. Manus says it's sure to be a 'footlong'. Just so long as it's a kosher weiner... okay! enough!)

1 comment:

erica said...

Oh wow, a boy! Now it's tied up, 2-2. Hold your own Walsh ladies, hold your own!
Much love from Boston where the weather chooses to jut skip over Spring and go from too damn cold to put that air conditioner in the window already, dammit.