Christmas greetings to you, one and all...

I hope you are having as wonderful time as I am, so far... and it's only just begun! The magic started for us here on Christmas Eve morning when the most wonderful parcel arrived from my cousin Johanna in London.
There were perfect gifts for each of us, beautifully wrapped and beribboned and its arrival caused great excitement here!

Parcels from London at Christmas were a huge part of my childhood. My mother's sister (Johanna's mother) always sent incredible parcels to us and we were allowed to open them on Christmas Eve. They were the precussor to the Christmas Day frenzy and in the days before English high-street chain-stores arrived on these shores the contents always amazed and delighted us. My mother, of course, sent parcels to London too (full of Irish treats!) and Johanna has the same fond memories as I do of the postman ringing the door-bell at Christmas time!

Johanna now has a little girl of her own and we have decided to carry on the tradition between us. I posted my package for her last week and I really hope that it arrived on time. I love that we are carrying it on, it really adds something special to an already special time of year.

In the afternoon we went to visit the girls' great grandmother and she gave my girls some beautiful jumpers that she made herself. I am delighted with them as I adore hand-knits and they are perfect for the current weather conditions!

In the evening, we hung the girls' stockings by the fireplace and tucked them up all snug in their beds... I'd like to think that they have dreams of sugar-plums in their heads... but they are not even 9 months old yet and haven't got a clue what Christmas is!

When they wake up they will see that Santa has been to visit and brought them, oh so many presents!

Yule-tide Greetings!

Today is the winter solstice and the beginning of Yule celebrations. There was a lunar eclipse this morning and I got up early to watch, looking forward to a magical start to the festivities of the next couple of weeks. Alas,  it was very cloudy and I saw no trace of this rare event. The morning was magical for quite another reason anyway.

It snowed last night. And boy did it snow! Big fluffy snow that settled in deep drifts over everything and made my heart leap with excitement and my head dizzy to look up.

Snow cushions

In the morning, before the rest of the world stirred, I took a peep out of several windows to marvel at the still perfection of undisturbed snow, though I didn't venture outside until it was light to snap some pictures.

I didn't want to mention the snow of past weeks the last time because it was a bit of a pain. There was too much work to do. Too many things to prepare. And though snowfall will always make me stop and smile and relish the time spent cosy and indoors... it sort of got in the way a few weeks ago.

This time, however, it's different. Work is all but complete. Preparations are all but made... and if things don't get finished, I've decided it doesn't matter a jot. We'll manage, and just maybe, this season, usually associated with gluttonous excess, will be simpler and more magical instead.

Snow Face

Let's not talk about the weather

Suffice to say that the weather has been about as extreme as it gets in Ireland. Thunder and lightening and snow by the sky-ful. And now, the beginnings of a thaw... but lots of ice... if that makes sense. At any rate, all we've been doing lately is staying cosy.... that's literally about it...

So, with a lack of exciting events in my own life -  I've decided to blog about my little brother. The gregarious, ever-excited, unstoppable Éanna!


Me pushing Éanna in the park in 1980/'81



Using a cucumber for balance at 8 months old...
as I look on... and eat the rest of the cucumber...

Éanna is having quite an exciting year thus far. He is building a house in the countryside. On a magnificent two-acre site with stunning views over a valley to the front and an ancient woodland to the rear. It promises to be fabulous and I can't wait to visit!

Éanna riding bareback on a traveller's horse!

He is studying Arboriculture, and dreams of one day working for Coillte and spending his days driving around in his Jeep and looking after trees. A far cry from his current desk-job with the national broadcaster.

He recently turned 'the big 30' and threw an amazing fancy-dress birthday party, where everybody dressed up as either super-heroes or cartoon characters. Éanna dressed up as Marvin the Martian. Complete with size 17 shoes... seriously.. do people have feet that big? He wore his own shoes inside the big shoes!

Most exciting of all, however, Éanna also recently got engaged! To the lovely Sinéad, who I already consider my sister-in-law. We are all looking forward to the wedding and wish them every kind of happiness for the future.

P.S. All photos in this post taken from slides, taken by my father, Sam Gallagher - aren't they lovely?