Lots to Share (Picture Heavy)

Hi everyone.  How are you all doing.

Well I'm busy: too busy.  I'm not managing my time very well at all but never mind, I still have lots to share with you.

Firstly, look at what is actually finished, about a year late! Had a little finishing help from Elaine.

Victorian Christmas is now available on my shops but wow, it is good to have it actually stitched.

I'm really behind with my Halloween Sampler but I'm off to the UK next week to visit my babies so will hopefully catch up then.

Loving it though.

A few weeks ago we had a brand new bypass open up.  You have to really live in Ireland to appreciate how exciting a straight, smooth, new road is.  DH has had surgery on his feet so couldn't drive so I grabbed the keys and told everyone to get in the car because we were going on a Bear Hunt and I wasn't scared!!!!

Yup, we got on the lovely, new, smooth road and off we went.  The sun was shining and it was all very exciting.

I don't drive very often so I figured we would just follow the car in front..and it was a great call because we ended up at the Museum of Country Life in County Mayo.

It was brill!
It was free!  Bonus!

First thing we found was a cute little cottage.
It was built to illustrate the different thatching methods, floor building methods etc and yes, I would live here.

 And yes, I wear socks over EVERYTHING...I love socks!

The gardens and the lake were gorgeous.  I didn't get any pictures of the lake as hubby's feet were hurting

The boards hanging up on the gardner's old cottage are butter pats: they each have a different carving on so people knew who made which butter.

And the tearoom.... Oh my goodness, the cakes were to die for!

Normally dh and I split desserts between us so we can try two different ones BUT my strawberry shortcake was so nice I forgot all about dh's.  And yes, that is fresh cream on the side!

Ah sweet, sweet strawberries!

The museum was excellent and I won't bore you too much but it was amazing how much of a role superstition played in the live's of people living in rural Ireland.  Everything seemed to come from ritual, everything from birth to death was covered by some saint and some day and some unusual practices.  It was fascinating though

Here is me embracing culture from the past!

I'm being a strawboy. The hat is a disguise for me to go and crash weddings, funerals, parties and bully, be scary and get free food and money.

The straw hat was meant to disguise who you were.  What they made from woven straw was amazing.  Horse bridles, mattresses, chairs, horse saddles, harnesses, and yes, even flooring.  I couldn't get photos of them all but the crafter in me was really impressed by the knots and weaves they used!

 Oh and I have to show you this!

Prisoners really did used to wear uniforms with arrows on!  I thought that was something people used in old Harold Lloyd films!

 

And I do believe I've found my grandchilds first crib!

I deleted the picure of the Poitin still: I caught ds and dh discussing how to make one.  I don't think so!

When we came out we noticed this from the car park.

DS is a history buff and he said it was a round tower with a building attached.  DS said it was just a church. So in the car we go for another adventure!

DH gloated...it was a church......

Till DS pointed out the tower wasn't actually attached to the church; it was just very close, and as DS pointed out to us, the door is really high up.  Apparently the monks/preachers would store all their valuables and food in there and if there was a raid, they would climb up a ladder to the door, pull the ladder or rope up after them so no one could get in, and ring the bell at the top to warn the parish they were under attack.

Clever Stuff hey?

And the church was a really special one.

Yup: it was here St Patrick (know as St. Paddy but NEVER St. Patty so my Irish neighbours tell me) founded his first church and the Fitzgerald's were the same family who also owned the house and lands which are now known as the Museum of Country Life.


I love old places like this and this is pure medieval history rarely seen in such good detail considering it a ruin.

And then it got even better.

We heard a really loud car engine. DS told us it was a Ferrari something or other.  Seriously?  We are up a hill in the middle of the Irish countryside and he identifies the model of a car we can't even see????

Then we heard another car.

Then DS and DH both lit up like an electric lightbulb.  It was the Irish Cannonball Run!!!

So we jumped in the car, drove as fast as we could (within legal speed limits of course) and found ourselves back on the lovely, new road where we had pride of place to view the Cannon Ball Run.  I won't bore you with photos of the endless sports cars which zoomed past so will just show you one.

I got bonus mummy points for this day out, I can tell you!  I managed to get quite a few photos and waved like to loon and we all got beeped up.  The boys thought it was magic.

So, all in all, not bad for a day out!

On a work front, I have a new design out.  This time it is Kate Scott's Sunflower Butterfly, and it is stunning!

This is a biggee so we are also going to do a smaller version.  I can't wait to get started on the next one.  I think it will resonate with all stitchers!

Fundraising wise...well, guess what?  Yup, we are nearly at the three hundred euro mark!!!! How amazing is that??

And we have another prize to add to the pile!

Mouse (Tales from a Stitch Mouse) stitched one of my butterfly charts and added the word Hope to it.  It wasn't stitched for the fundraiser, but Mouse (Michelle) felt it was an appropriate prize and I have to agree with her!  Thank you so much sweet lady and thank so many of our blogging community who are supporting me.  Thank you.

 

Isn't it beautiful.  Its on shiny fabric as well so it extra bling!

A friend said to me she wanted to donate but could only afford one euro. Would she look silly? Well no, not at all. Firstly, whilst I know who is donating what, on the public board you can show your self as annon: unknown. So there is that.

Secondly, shall I tell you what one euro means to me?

One euro donated for breast cancer research means to me one great big, stinking stamping foot crashing down on an evil, nasty, twisted, evil, life destroying (and did I mention evil) breast cancer cell!

And that makes me feel so much better and it gets me through the day and it gets me through the dark times when fear slips back in.

Imagine if everyone donated just one euro? It would be like the performers 'Stomp' having a show in a laboratory rofl.

So yes, one euro might be all you can manage. I think more of us can say this now than at any other time. But one euro is one step forwards and wow...if we all gave one euro we could kick breast cancers arse sooner rather than later.

And remember, if you donated through my fundraiser you might even win a prize and you will def. receive a free chart of the Hope needleroll.

And I know you have all been so generous with your time, your blogging posts supporting me and the messages.  Thank you.  It will all be over by Halloween I promise!

I'm off to the UK next week to see my babies so I'm not sure if I will be able to post but I will def. make the most of the time off (she says, apparently my children are looking forwards to tasting my cooking: methinks it is not going to be much of a holiday lol) to read all your lovely blogs and hopefully stitch. 

Be safe, and catch up soon.