The Land of the School Tour....

...and our ancestors. Took a trip to newgrange recently with my visiting american cousin and his fabulous wife. We were transported and fed by 'uncle of luxurious car'. It's all change since I'd been there all those school tours ago. Official centres and buses and all. Still as part of heritage week it was free so one can't argue with that. I even took a naughty interior picture. (but as you can see I was almost outside....)

result!

I've had these shoes for ages now but in spite of all their fabulousness they have been residing at the bottom of my wardrobe. Sadly my narrow feet can't keep them on. In a moment of illumination i thought i could attach ribbons on for straps. So i high tailed it into rubenesque in the powerscourt centre and perused the collection. I decided on cream (for contrast) grosgrain (for holding power) ribbon. Next stop the cobblers. Under strict instructions he carefully glued them in with his super power shoe glue et voila! Now all i need is an occasion......

Two magazines

Two magazines that are new on the shelves and to which i am already a convert are :

http://puntmag.wordpress.com/

and

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Moth/115703795124188

banana bread cake thing!

i am a phase eater of the humble banana. in that i'll eat one a day for weeks on end than abruptly decide i am a banana girl no more. i just left a banana phase recently and was left with two large bananas getting blacker by the day. theres only one thing for it ....



the necessary:

250g self raising wholemeal flour
125g brown sugar
2 eggs
100g butter
2 large ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
hanful dried fruit (optional)
2 bowls and a loaf tin

get your mix on:

1- bowl one: mash the bananas, stir in the eggs, vanilla and melted butter. mix well.
2- bowl two: sift the flour, add sugar and fruit.
3- put the two together and mix well.
4- pour into a loaf tin and cook at 180 for about 45-60 mins.

i enjoyed a slice with a bit of butter when it was still oven warm!yum...

sunday morning

no better way to start off the day than with cinnamon topped macchiato and my leftover saturday papers. is it just me or are most sunday papers not worth the paper they're written on?

saturday fishing on the south wall

whats not to love: not much chatter, the sound of the sea, the sunshine, watching seagulls and cormorants, drinking tea, eating sambos. watching the yachts on the dun laoghaire side of the harbour fall in and out of line with each other, their brightly coloured triangles mesmerisingly full of unstoppable wind.
the methodical movements: over the shoulder, under the arm and reel and pull and reel and reel..... hoping it will make it over the rocks and not get caught. that next time you'll manage to get your throw a little further out to sea. watching the man next to you bring in two on his eight feathered line. our odds are probably about even. and hoping and hoping that maybe you'll catch something other than a bit of sea weed. ok next time reel and pull. next time ....