Sundaying the right way!

The day started off with Bill (neighbour), Patrick and I sitting out the front of our house on three adirondack chairs.  Having the chats, and each ignoring a chore that each needed to do. 

For lunch we had chick fil-A...there is not a chick fil-A on the island I hear you say?! Bill and a friend had driven to Miami the day before and brought a whole bunch back with them.  Kindly gave us two.  Mmmm!

It has been so long since I spent some time at the beach and today was the right day to rectify it.  I went to the Southernmost beach and I am delighted to report they have installed a ton of new bike racks in the pocket park at the entrance.  It was a joy to cycle to and park in. And of course the beach was just fab!

Thunderstorms were predicted late afternoon, early evening so we zipped out to check the crab traps around 3pm.  We landed 5! Delighted with that.

And then this evening dinner was steak and cheesy (Israeli) cous cous. Oh and just a small matter of KEY LIME PIE for dessert.

Just a perfect day

You made me forget myself

I thought I was someone else

Someone good

Oh, it's such a perfect day

I'm glad I spent it with you

Oh, such a perfect day

You just keep me hanging on

You just keep me hanging on

You're going to reap just what you sow

You're going to reap just what you sow

You're going to reap just what you sow

You're going to reap just what you sow

Israeli cous cous and general round up of news

I discovered a new food!  Israeli cous cous - which tastes very different to the (semolina) cous cous that I am used to.  It is is much bigger and more "chew" to it also.

Interesting factoid: it is not actually a cous cous and is technically actually a pasta.  The genesis of it is also interesting: in response to a rice shortage in Israel in the 1950's "pitim" - pasta in the shaped like pearl rice grains was developed.

I cooked it with garlic, red chili flakes in a chicken broth and it was quite nice indeed.  It may well become a staple of this household.

In other news:

I went to Starbucks today and I was like a complete culchie ordering and the man looked at me like I had two heads.  Combination of not having gone to Starbucks for a million years because I live in Key West (hello, Cuban Coffee Queen) and the pandemic.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh died today. 

This lead to a what's app discussion between Enid, Alice and I about Megan Markle's wedding dress compared to Beatrice (above) and Eugenie.  Eugenie being the winner and Megan coming in waaaaaaay last. (boringly conservative and ill fitting/unfinished looking).

I am delighted for my good friends in Dionne Warwick's band to see plans to tour again.  And they will be going to Dublin! Wonderful.

Easter Sunday dinner (very little photos!)

 We decided that we would like to do Easter Sunday just ourselves (even though we got a lovely invitation from friends, and thank you for that).  Maybe it is a little bit of Catholic throwback?? Easter is always a big calendar day in Ireland, second to Christmas, and equally in Canada it was always a big deal for Patrick.  It felt like a day for family this year.

We had a lovely day pottering around the house, I cleaned and it made things feel so much nicer, and we did a bit out in the garden as well.  Early afternoon I went downtown on my bike just for the spin and while there I decided I would get us a nice appetizer/starter for dinner. 

I went into Faustos and got some lovely pate (or pork, chicken liver and truffle mousse as they call it) and some classic Carr's crackers.

When Patrick saw it he decided to put a bottle of prosecco on ice for dinner which was a good idea and indeed very nice!

My Easter crockery which I use all year round got an appropriate season use today lol!

Look.at.that.lusciousness

No more photos :(

No photo of the main which was a fab seafood pasta (shrimp and lobster). Accompanied by the crisp chilled prosecco. 

And a sharing dessert of Cadburys chocolate egg!

A really, lovely Easter Sunday

Easter bunny visited

Happy Easter!

I made a little hamper for my work colleagues.  Hershey eggs, Reeses peanut butter cups and Peeps. We don't have Peeps in Ireland and my sisters and I are a bit intrigued/obsessed about them. ("Describe what they taste like" they ask me).

Easter Sunday morning! The Easter bunny arrived!

I gave Patrick the Cadburys buttons egg (yes, which someone had given me, but come on! It's Cadburys.  A regift of Cadburys is immeasurable).  He knows I love a chocolate bunny and this year he got me TWO! One of them, he said, "look, it comes with a little hat you can wear"

The "hat"!!!!

Ahahahahahahhahahahah.  So funny.  

Covid Vaccine

 I feel really lucky.  The first shot of my the two step vacccine (Pfizer) is in my arm.  I am the first person of my immediate family to get, which seems a little unfair but that is the way it is: it is pretty shambolic in Ireland at the moment.  My 88 year old grandmother has got it, but my mam and dad (early/mid 70's) are still waiting.

I've always been a fan of the regular flu vac.  In a blog post from 2012, I talk about getting it in work, and I continued with this yearly until I left Irish Life in November 2018.  This was a very similar process. It felt slightly quicker and less sore going in than I expected.  Going to bed that night my arm was a little tender for sleeping on (I took a tylenol) and then next day in work it was a little sore when I lifted it to a certain height.  That was it.  They say there are more side effects and reactions from the 2nd one, so we will see.

And the further good news is that Patrick has an appointment for his first one on Monday.  His mam and dad got their first one in Canada yesterday and I am happy about that.  A little bit like Ireland though, Canada is struggling. Instead of getting their 2nd one in three weeks time (like we will), Canada has decided that they will get that in a few months - instead they will focus on getting as many first doses into as many arms as possible.  I'm not sure I agree with this, but hey, what do I know!

Do I look a bit teary-eyed?  Yeah, that is because I was a bit teary-eyed.

.

Happy, and grateful, driving home!  Thank you Science

Little blue house, project

 

Problem:

Open gap/vent into attic space.  One on either side of the house but one of them already has a grate on it (from the inside). It appears on this one, the grate was removed when some wiring work was done. This opening is just sitting there, exposed, any type of rodent could move in.

Tools for the job! (Wire cutter/snips borrowed from Bill across the road)

A little bit fiddly because I had to work around some pipes and wiring etc

But I got there!

Really pleased that this little Sunday job has been done.

One month of yoga

Today was my last class of my month long sign up for bikram. I went with zest and passion for the first three weeks, and for a little less passion in the last week.  On that basis, I am going to take a week or two (or three) off, and when I am ready to commit again, I shall sign up for another month. 

Not a great pic but I thought you might like to see this cool poster in my studio. And I must say, after my month, I do feel great.  And hopefully look great too sure!

Be well. Namaste.