Titanic Belfast Today I am sharing a taster from the prologue of my memoir “Watching the Daisies – Life Lessons on the Importance of Slow.” “Rainbows Over Belfast,” describes my colourful experiences at a Tom Jones concert, in August 2012. “Seconds later, a series of efficient roadies dressed in sombre shades of black, grey and olive clear the stage for […]
Wine bottles in a unique flower arrangement Part two of my visit to the Keukenhof Gardens, described as “the most beautiful spring garden in the world,” focuses on the indoor exhibitions. The sculptural display of lilies and ferns displayed in wine bottles, was one of MANY unique ideas that my sister and I witnessed on our trip, so I make […]
Cloudy skies I purchased a little, open fronted beach tent two summers ago; it has been such a blessing – I can now spend quality time by the seaside in inclement weather. The beach called me last Wednesday, so I packed my tent and a picnic, before heading out to a quiet cove. A few clouds graced the Donegal skies: Inside my beach tent Then the […]
Tulips amidst a Sea of Muscari outside the Juliana Pavilion The Keukenhof Gardens are described as “the most beautiful spring garden in the world.” I would have to agree after visiting them for the first time two weeks ago. The gardens are located amongst the Dutch bulb fields, less than an hour away from Amsterdam. My sister and I took a train to Schiphol […]
The Royal Cremation Procession In my memoir, I share my experiences of a trip to Bali which had been on my wish list for many years. the following is an excerpt: “On October 14 2013, a member of the Balinese royal family passed away, giving rise to a special Palebon Agung cremation ceremony. On November 1, I was once again […]
One of Petulu’s Sacred Heron The following is an excerpt from my memoir: “A period of mass murder blighted the islands of Indonesia in 1965, when more than 5% of the population of Bali were massacred. The small village of Petulu, located a few miles north of Ubud is home to mass graves from this terrible period in the island’s […]
My Balinese Priest’s Bell accompanied by a photograph of its creator The Indonesian island of Bali first crossed my travel radar when I read Karen Kingston’s inspirational book “Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui,” around 1996. Karen’s book quickly propelled me to London, and two of her weekend workshops on Spaceclearing – the art of cleansing and purifying the CHI or energy in buildings […]
Sally Cronin is an incredibly generous writer and blogger who supports LOTS of authors and bloggers (myself included) through her blog Smorgasbord Invitation – a blog with a view – on books, music, humour and health. She has written ten books on a variety of topics, ranging from health to media training. This week I read and reviewed her book “Sam, A Shaggy […]
A view across the garden last Sunday evening March has (mostly) been warmer than usual. Weekend temperatures soared into the high teens, a welcome reprieve after the inclement weather of late. The garden looked quite different in early March: The miniature daffodils were smiling ahead of schedule. Crocuses were in full bloom: Pompom Primula greeted each other after months of hibernation: […]
Fibromyalgia makes driving long distances a challenge for me; I am comfortable on short drives around home, but anything beyond that requires careful planning and extra rest, both before, during and after the journey. Last week, an unexpected funeral around 60 miles away, took me out of my driving comfort zone. However, I decided I was going to enjoy the journey regardless, as it […]
Watching the Daisies 