How can I find another day to measure up to yesterday? Actually"measure up" may not be the right term. There was little actual measuring done - just fistfuls, spoonfuls and pours of buttermilk and water.
Today started with an email, saying an e-book I'd placed a hold on at the Ottawa library was now ready to download. It was the latest Flavia de Luce novel. I guess I have the mind of a kid, because these are kids books but oh so delightful. It would be amazing in so many ways to be around a kid like Flavia. No right-minded parent would ever have raised such a kid, but hey, they're novels. They are written by Canadian author Alan Bradley. Light reading and such fun.
So, I downloaded the book and now am almost finished. The day was grey and rather foreboding looking. I went outside twice - once to take the recycling to the bin and the other time to take the garbage. By no definition does this qualify as exercise. The total distance of both trips was about 40 yards. Ah well ...
I had planned a walk to the Bunclody library to return "Precious and Grace" a novel by Alexander McCall Smith. If you haven't ready his "#1 Ladies detective agency" or "The Sunday Philosophy Club" or other series, get thee to a library. No - wait - go online and google the series in order. They are delightful books but best read them in sequence so that you become acquainted with the characters in the right chronological order.
I will have to make that walk tomorrow as a book I'd placed a hold on, has now arrived. It is of genealogical interest, not really entertainment. I have a copy at home but could not bring my entire library with me. I don't have an idetic (sp???) memory so can't recall relevant info. That's what libraries are for so I take advantage.
I spent so much time yesterday, once I got home from Carnew, poring over the Askamore Vol 4 book that I thought I would not want to look at another printed page. Hah! Bring them on. Now I have to find Vols. 1 through 3 and spend as much time poring over them. There are several interesting articles of historical interest. However, I was busy reading the captions under the photos, looking for familiar names. I found quite a few and photographed the pictures I wanted, including the list of names underneath (or beside) the pictures.
If you have ever done Irish genealogy you'll see the irony in "familiar names". I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that any given family was allowed to use only about 10 names, and did so, in the same sequence over and over. All children of a couple gave all of their children the same names. How on earth did cousins distinguish themselves from one another? At a family reunion if you want assistance you only need to call out "Sean, please come here". Instantly you'd have 10 chaps eager to help.
Lest you think that I spent the entire time reading let me advise you that I do have a cooking gene, if not baking. Rather, the soup making gene. So, I made a pot of mushroom soup. If I had waited a couple more days it could have been rotten mushroom soup so there was some pressure. Having bought some bouillon cubes since my last soup day, the process is easier. I could not find any powdered chicken soup base but cubes worked fine.
My favourite find in SuperValu was the fresh Scottish salmon fillets. For my North American friends, the cost of only 3.50 Euro per pound may provoke some envy. I'd been paying almost 3 times that at home so it was a rare treat. It could become an addiction here. Not sure why there's no Irish salmon. Maybe I'll look into that.
So today was a rather lazy day. This evening, with no access to the tv shows I like to record and play back at leisure, I will listen to a CD from the library. It is a lengthy interview with Owen Murphy and his telling of a childhood encounter with a leprechaun - or rather "an elfish man dressed in green" and later with a banshee, among other stories. Naturally these recollections do not go back to the time that my ancestors actually lived in Ireland but it increases my understanding of Irish life.
So much for today - rather lazy I'm afraid. I like to think of it as pacing myself. Actually I should do a little pacing to make up for the lack of my daily trip up and down, or rather down and up the hill into and out of Bunclody.
Perhaps tomorrow will bring more excitement - or at least motion.
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