Move over Fifi

Looks like Katie is the newest Flowertot in Flowertot Garden!




We love Fifi Forget-Me-Not and all her friends. You can learn all about the flowertots on their official website. You can watch it too on Nick Jr. What should Katie's flower name be?

Hot Fun in the Summertime

As you should know by now, a typical Irish day looks something like this:

Actual elapsed time, 0.8 seconds.

Well, luckily for us, yesterday saw a change.

And at the same time as the Irish sun was bursting forth from the cloud's familiar hold, another Irish son was bursting forth from a womb's familial hold. Ah, Sweet poetry...

Mary and Tom Marry had another boy! Conor Brendan Marry was born at 3:45pm on August 7th and weighed in at 8 lbs even.
While I've yet to procure any actual photos of the young lad, just for your reference, I'm pretty sure he looked just like this:
I do have pictures of another babe from yesterday...

Tell me the shorts aren't fantastic! And it was great to have a warm and sunny day in which to wear them. Katie has really turned a corner in her walking attempts. While she still walks half like Frankenstein and half like someone with a stick up their butt, she walks everywhere. Only if we are in a serious hurry does she get down to crawl. Or if she sees a puddle.

Speaking of puddles, Katie got her first pair of wellies today.

And speaking of turning a corner... if you turn the corner from Manus' parent's house out in Cuffesgrange, you will find yourself at the very birthplace of James Hoban! Yes, it's true!! Shocking and hard to believe, isn't it??!! Now, I wouldn't want to insult anybody as I know you all know who J. Hoban is, but since I decided to make this an educational site, I will provide links so you can learn more about the Irishman who became an architect and designed the White House (where the President of the United States lives.) That's right, the one and only. And just in case you think you will forget his name, you can use a little mnemonic that I find helpful; Just think of the regulatory action that could put yo Momma out of work.

Well, architecture students from Wash. D.C.'s Catholic University designed and erected (tee,hee) a monument to the great man (some may remember the original monument in the ditch on the side of the road that looked more like a misplaced headstone) and last night was the unveiling.

It is a beautiful monument and all the local papers say it is sure to put Cuffesgrange, Co. Kilkenny on the map. Which is good, because I looked, and it isn't on any of them at the moment.

We were blessed to have Father Funky Dee and the Holy Rollers there to get down and get freaky.

I just still don't understand why they had their backs to the crowd...

My fellow countrymen.... (Take me with you!!!!)

Here is an article about the events from the Kilkenny newspaper: http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/James-Hoban-memorial-now-set.4362987.jp

It is almost exactly a month 'til we are in the good ole U. S. of A again and celebrating the life of a man made famous in America did little to lessen my homesickness. And neither did this:

I feel like I'm in the middle of one of those old coffee commercials, "We've secretly switched the restaurant's fresh brewed coffee with Folger's crystals... let's see if they notice the difference." Well, I DID notice the difference, albeit not til AFTER I got home from the grocery. Canadian maple syrup and banana nut? Helllllloooo? Where is Cinnamon and my reason-for-buying, Peanut Butter? I'm sorry, you just can't trust a country that doesn't eat peanut butter.

And I think the weeds are mocking me.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary,

How does your garden grow?

My garden grows like a mo-fo. word up. (Mary aint the only contrarian around here these days...)*

And contrary to the nursery rhyme filled with "with silver bells and cockle(ahem?) shells and pretty maids all in a row", ours is now filled with chrysanthemums, dalias and gold crest. And, hello? OF course pretty maids. Not the cleaning kind though. pul-eeeze!

Saturday Katie and I had to entertain ourselves as Manus had to work away another Saturday.

I told him, Manus, your boss is a real ass. A real slavedriver. A real party-pooping stick in the mud. A real turdburgler.

Then he reminded me that he works for himself so I said... "yeah, I know." what was his point?

I have taken to gardening like I have to all my other crafty, hobby, pet-projects: I'm all in, gung-ho, jumping in with both feet, I am a gardening gardener who gardens. I am out there every day, watering, weeding, "tending to my flock"- if you will. I am passionate, I am dedicated, I am motivated, and just like all my other projects, there isnt a hope in hell that I am ever going to see this one through..

Currently in my "active" file are two half-finished cross-stitch patterns, THREE books that I have started and grown tired of before reaching the end, half-used tubes of Bob Ross oil paints, 6 books of B.R. painting tutorials and one canvas with painted sky and a big black blob in the foreground (shadowing - always getting stuck in the blocking part...). I was big into scrapbooking for half a second. Wanna get Manus riled up? Pull out our honeymoon album. It is fantastic, if I do say so myself. Until I quit three-quarters of the way and put it up on the top shelf. Manus asks if Im ever going to finish it and I tell him honestly -

no f***ing chance.

And oh yeah, p.s., someday this blog will just POOF! be gone... Don't kid yourself into thinking that I will keep this up. I dont know when it will happen, I just know that it will. You have been forewarned. Start the counselling now.

Because I know that I have this endearing little quality, I do take precautionary steps. My garden project was limited to the small dog-poop patch in the front of the house. And, though I had visions of a very different landscape when I went over to the DIY and garden centre, I allowed myself only to purchase plants that were on sale (and were cheap to begin with). Although I wanted the tiller that I saw the other day in a garden shop, I didnt let myself spend the money, knowing that someday quite soon that very tiller will be a discarded tool collecting cobwebs in the corner of our shed - not to mention, taking up precious tenant space.
This means that all the digging and tearing up of grass and unearthing rocks was done with these two hands and one small trowel and one of those 3 pronged hand spade thingys. Katie helped. We felt very mother-earthy. Very "one with nature". It was one of those "get your hands dirty, roll around in the mud, play Hide-the-dirt-in-your-ear, what does mud taste like?" kind of days. Well, for one of us it was. (me)

We also played "Dirt, Rock, or Dung?" as we dug in the former puppy potty. I can only hope that what is still embedded under my nails is the former rather than the latter.

Sadly, I have low hopes for the success of our garden. What do I know about growing? I killed a ficus tree. A plastic one. Why do I think that chrysanthemums, dalias and gold crest can grow together in harmony? Do they require the same amount of water? Of sunlight? Of plant food? When I was in the garden store, I saw a flyer talking about "testing your soil" before beginning to plant. That didnt sound like fun, so I didnt do it. Besides, after you take out all the rocks there isnt much soil left so I just filled the bed with compost and planted into that.

I could go out there every day and give the flowers some CO2 therapy... I can just ramble on and on and on, talking a lot and saying very little. It seems to be working with Katie... she is growing like a bad weed. If I did that though, Id have no endless, pointless rambling left to blog with... (audible sigh actually heard from within my computer)

We seem to be doing something right in the backyard at least... we have new growth!



Then and now. Remember the bare patch (circled in red)?

*As I believe that the children are our future, we should teach them well and let them lead the way. Therefore when I find something of educational value I will stick it way down here at the end, out of the way of the blathering nonsense above. The nursery rhyme, Mary, Mary quite contrary, is actually about Mary, the daughter of King Henry VIII. You can learn about it here.http://www.rhymes.org.uk/mary_mary_quite_contrary.htm

Bed, Box and Beyond

Our new bed arrived today! It is magnificent and it is LARGE. We asked for, ordered, and paid for a King sized bed. Yesterday I went out and bought a king size sheet set and king size mattress cover. I then washed, dried and ironed (yeah right) said bedclothes so they would be ready for the big day.
As we were making the new bed, something became strikingly apparent. They delivered a SUPER KING bed. 30 cm more of back-supporting double-coil goodness. But the damn sheets wont fit. Its a good thing I got the El Cheapo cotton-poly blend. I went back out today for proper fitting sheets and spent 100 euro on the only superking sheet set I could find. This stuff is 300 thread count, so if we are paying by the thread, its not too bad a deal.

At this rate, I think we would give our last dollar for a good night's sleep. And just when you think we just might get it...

This is the scene from our bedroom window. This morning they fired up their engines at 7:30am. Please don't let them work on Saturdays..

My mom sent us a box that arrived today. I told her its like Xmas, Easter and my birthday all rolled into one when a package arrives. Goodies for everyone! Katie got a new doll and really cute outfits. She got a pair of turquoise daisy dukes that I wish fit me sooo bad. A shot glass that though I dont believe was intended for her, Katie has commandeered and is eating her puffs out of it. She knows I got something good, but I wont share my peanut M&Ms! Manus got a box of Breathe-Right nasal strips but he doesnt know it yet. I got my 3 lipfinity "modern" lipsticks that I'd bought on e-bay. Yes, that's right Laura, I went and STOLE them right from under your nose. That's what you get for turning me on to a discontinued product. And, they were only 3 bucks each! In fairness however, the online store had 5 tubes for sale, so there should be 2 left.

And perhaps the best part of these boxes are the past two months of People magazine. I could die a happy woman. I devour each issue. I dont really even care about celeb gossip, but it is so good to get a few words about home. Now if only I could lock myself in the bathroom with one or two... heaven!

So, needless to say, thanks mom for all our gifts. They really make my day.

Manus has been working hard to get our lawn looking nice. He sprayed for weeds and the other day we went around digging them up. Now our lawn looks a set design for Groundhog Day 2.

Before and After

Maybe the weed killer killed a little more than the weeds. I got lawn seed today so we shall sow the seeds of success this summer. We need to buy fertilizer. Manus said that is what our compost bin is for but we realized only the other day that we have had it upside down and when we turned it over it unleashed an unholy terror of a smell. I will not be spreading that out on the grass.

My gardening project has been to find a way to keep the damn shitter dog next door from shitting in our front yard. (perhaps we should let him go wild in our back yard..)

So far, so good. Two poop-free days and counting...

I'm in a self-righteous funk these days. I need some direction in my life. Still no word from the Nursing Board. I sent a large packet of info pleading my case for educational reciprocity. The assessor had it for a week now with my request for him to call me after he reviewed it. I will call and harass on Monday. Manus is bearing the brunt of my frustrations... He said to me that he will have to work tomorrow (Saturday) and instead of feeling bad for him I muttered, Oh that's just great. He said, Why? Do I have plans? No. But that is not the point. He is meeting with our landlord this evening to iron out our plans for next year. I said, Oh that's great. He said, why? Did I want to do something tonight? No. But that is not the point. I dont think I can explain it to him.... (Can someone explain it to me?) Manus said, you know... it seems like lately I cant do right no matter what I do. And I said, You are absolutely right.

We have our tickets to the states bought. Our trip itinerary is as follows:

Sept 10-15 Charlotte, NC
Sept 15-Sept 23 Miami, FL
Sept 23-Oct 15 Sacramento, CA
Oct 15-Oct 24 Miami, FL
Oct 24-Oct 26 San Francisco, CA
Oct 26-Nov 18 Sacramento, CA
Nov 18-Dec 2 Miami, FL

Adjust your schedules and rearrange your lives accordingly.

Time to put the sheets in the dryer. Have a happy weekend.

Come to Rose Hill!

After my cousin Laura's visit here was such a success, Manus and I decided to team up with Ireland's Tourism and Travel Board and list our place as available guest accommodations for anyone visiting the Kilkenny area.


We have to submit our own brochure ideas and pictures, but fortunately we took quite a few while Laura was staying with us so our advertising will have a real air of authenticity.


This is the copy and layout that we have so far, I was hoping you all would look it over and just give us some initial feedback. If we end up using your suggestions, we are prepared to offer a 20% discount on YOUR next trip to Rose Hill.

Here it is:

Planning a trip to Kilkenny? Why book into an overcrowded hotel in the middle of the city? Come enjoy a rustic retreat in your very own cabin!

With stunning views of the Irish countryside.
This spacious cabin comfortably sleeps six, and we lock you up good and tight each night for your own added privacy and safety.

As you can see, we boast only the best four-ply mattresses and bedding. Why not relax and read a book before heading off to dreamland?

You will wake each morning refreshed and ready to welcome the day!


Why not start your day the truly Irish way - Play Guess the Day's Weather! This game will challenge and amaze you. Not even our forecasters get extra hints.



If the weather does stay fine, there are lots of activities for you to choose from right outside your door!



Or take advantage of our state of the art recreational facilities

Each cabin boasts its own central heating and lighting amenities

And of course, with each cabin is your own private toileting facility. weather permitting.

For those parents who just want to get away on your own, we offer a fully equipped children's playroom in the main house.
As always, clothing is optional.

We look forward to your stay with us! Book soon!


So, what do you think? And how much should we charge? Is $1000/night a bit too much?

The Backyardigans

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The top photo is looking at the backyard through the kitchen doors. Yeah, the landscaping leaves something to be desired...

You see the doghouse for manus... well, okay that's our shed. It houses our very own lawnmower.

Second photo is looking back at the house. If you look closely on the left you can see the retractable clothesline. that's for drying clothes outside when there's a day that it doesnt rain. Ill let you know when that happens...

Here's your daily dose of Katie - for all you addicts out there.