a little thing

I'm sitting in an Irish fishing village listening to a German radio station play some Feist.

It is a small world after all.







LOVE.

a lamb, a dog and some fecking cussing

So, today we went to visit E, who is starting a riding for the disabled school/stable with the help of some Mountshannon people (and P, who does a lot of admin type work for our Camphill). It was lovely to be around horses again, and Mat, N and I went on a beautiful walk that went through fairytale woods. Like, actually. Hans Christian Anderson probably had some similar woods near him while he was writing.
Before the walk, though, I saw an ewe and her lamb, who was frolicking about quite happily. He pushed his nose in for some lunch just as we left. Adorable.
Later, back on the ranch, there was a very old dog walking slowly around (think Spring, if you knew her, but hairier). The fur on its head was matted, like it didn't get bathed by the owners of the ranch but just fended for itself. It came up really slowly to me, sniffed and then stood calmly and waited while I petted him gently. And he came back again later, which I took to heart and was really pleased about because I was interesting enough to this old one who's been around for ages to warrant a second pass! Silly, sure, but he was so incredibly calm and gentle and quiet that a bit of his air just seeped into mine and made my afternoon.

Also, yesterday I took the first few steps to make myself legal here as a resident for a year, so I don't get picked up by the garda (police). The immigration officer was a man with a very strong Irish accent, which just made this funnier. While he was filling out forms with me, two other men came struggling into the room lugging some boxes and swearing fit to burst. My garda stands up, all afronted, saying 'stop fecking cussing! it's bad enough I'm cussing in front of her, you don't need to be too!' and so the men traipse out, cussing.
Good fecking times in the garda station.

LOVE.

Photos!

Clai House, world. World, Clai House.
I can see the village of Mountshannon from the kitchen windows. Isn't that awesome?
Me, K and our snowpig/woman/rabbit.
I couldn't resist. This smithy is too quaint.
Again, view from the side of Clai House. One week after the creation of the snowpig/woman/rabbit. The winter certainly doesn't drag itself out over here.

Ok. More to follow at a later date.
LOVE.

and so we dance.

Heyo. So, I went off to my first ceilhi (probably spelled wrong) in Ireland last night. Fun times -- it's like line dancing in that someone calls out what step will be coming next, but I could actually understand this man when he did so (unlike my one line dancing experience in the St. Anne's gym. It was very muffled, to say the least). Anywho, this one was fun. I'm glad I did the old swing dance lessons in Halifax before leaving, though, because I would've been so much more out of my depth otherwise. We arrived, and the teacher picked me out as new and threw me (figuratively) into a set (being four pairs in a square, me paired with a lovely older gentleman) and off we went. I picked it up fairly quickly (enough so that I was comfortable and enjoying myself and not worrying about what comes next -- which is where swing comes in, because it got me used to partner dancing and following a lead). But there was a lot of hardshoe sounds coming from the experienced dancers (think tap), and I want to know what they're doing! I'll have to wait until next time, and maybe ask the teacher or someone to just show me quickly, cause it's very hard to learn by just watching.

But yes. All in all, a lovely Monday night following a lovely weekend in which I began to spread out the knowledge of tap dancing. They wanted to see it...so I showed them, and then started teaching (cause what else am I supposed to do? Just soak up their accolades? :)). There was interest, so maybe tap dancing will become part of a Camphill Mountshannon tradition. Who knows.

Other than that, life is sauntering along pretty swimmingly here. Did some gardening the other day, harvesting leeks, and realized that I love it and am excited for the weather to warm up even more so the gardening tasks can accumulate. Also, there's talk of a play going around, one to be performed by us in April on our open house day (for the community). We're going to walk around the gorgeous park here on Sunday to see what inspiration comes from the space. Yay!

I hope all is well out there in the rest of the world. Write, if you get a chance.

Ok.
LOVE.

- S

PS: to comment, if anyone wishes to, simply click on the "post a comment" button. When asked for an identity, you can always select "anonymous" from the list. And then, if you sign your comment, I'll still know who you are. :)
love,
me

Mountshannon on this new thing called the Internet

Short one: check this out. E filmed it. Woman in orange hat is R, pink coat girl is K, checked coat girl by snow-monster is U, man sliding on ice is Ric, man jumping up and down in white coat and saying "swah" is N, E is filming...man in orange hat with bobble is Mat, little black dog is Bobby.

I think that's all...and yes. When I'm making the snowball -- that bit is on the ice of the frozen harbour. Hasn't happened since 1963, they tell me. I'm part of Mountshannon history in the making. How sweet is that?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vhaUI9I6Yg (called "Mountshannon is frozen!").

Hope all is well with everyone.

LOVE.

Here's a Who's Who.

Hey. So, the plan was to put up a few photos, to give ideas of what it's like over here. But that will have to wait until I talk it over with Mat, whose computer I am using. Oh, laptop sharing. He's cool, by the way -- from Germany, well-travelled and planning to work abroad longer, and is a clown. Seriously. By training. :)

So you get stories instead.

Last night, I went with R to a friend's house. (R's the Clai House mum, a lovely woman, very open about herself and the kind of work we're doing here. Also mothering, which I find very comforting sometimes, even though I'm not one of her actual children (namely, U and K, 14 and 9 respectively). Speaking of, they arrived back from holidays the other day and are nice and I'm excited to get to know them. At the moment, they're stunned that I've seen as many films as I have...likely because the closest cinema is towns (and at least a half an hour drive) away. Provides good conversation fodder, though, me giving them reviews of Sherlock Holmes and what not).
So, yes. At this friend's house (A, also lovely) we had a reading of All's Well That Ends Well. It was an awesome way to meet new people, and to fill a Shakespeare-sized (or at least Shakespeare-like) hole that I didn't realize was there. I think it's missing theatre in general -- but that's ok, cause Mat and I are going to an open meeting of the local drama group on Sat. We'll see how that unfolds.

Unrelatedly (or because this post has turned into an introduction to the people over here) M and M, co-workers from the other house (Inis house), had a baby on the 27th. Little M, who's lustily keeping them awake at all hours, but is also the cutest thing I've seen in some time.
Along with these guys in Inis, there's E (lovely friendly Japanese co-worker, helped me create a Skpe account) and J (resident who's just back from holidays today, I have yet to meet him). And the residents here at Clai are Ric, who's preoccupied with the crazy weather at the moment (he went skating, in his shoes not skates, and loved it) and N (who beams and laughs out of nowhere, and says only versions of the sound 'swah'). I want to get N down in a sketch.
Anyway.

Here's a Happy New Year! to all, unfortunately missed out on last time in all the excitement of a new blog. I hope all is well with everyone, and I love you all to pieces.

- s

PS: thanks for the comments, I love reading them and really need them sometimes. :)

So.
I'm here, in Ireland, and the sun is setting behind mountains that disappear into fog, and I'm thinking I'm going to be okay.

This country is beautiful, and the people are lovely (especially the ones I'm living with here at Camphill Mountshannon, Clai House), and there's a really cute puppy -- all of which is helping to ease my homesickness.
Still...it hurts sometimes.

On a happier note, we went on a walk today into some snow-covered bogs, and it was amazing. SUCH beautiful weather, sunny and cool. And there was more than enough snow to make a little snowperson (with little flower arms raised high). I left him on a post with a sign depicting a hiking trail. He's like a little snow inukshuk...except made of circles instead of stones.
That's my next building project -- being the only Canadian in Camphill (we think), I'm going to transport a little stone momento to Mountshannon. Although I hear they already have some Canadian geese, so our wildlife may have beaten me to the punch.

I hope all is well with you, and I love you all from the bottom of my heart.

Until next time, mes cheries.

- s