Slainte!

This means "good health" in Gaelic and is pronounced "sloncha" when toasting each other over a Guiness. Now, I have to say I never drink Guiness except when I\'m in Ireland. It\'s the real thing and it tastes really good, especially with a little splash of black currant. Hey, don\'t knock it till you try it.
My introduction to Ireland came about because my friend Gerry whom I met on the Camino said "if you\'re ever in Ireland, come and stay with us"! It seemed like he meant it, so I emailed him and his lovely wife Martha and arranged a short visit. I also managed to convince Arlene to join us and we had a good camino reunion. Unfortunately, I had the flu but once on antibiotics, seemed to improve hourly.
Gerry most kindly picked us up in Dublin and we drove the short distance to the little village where he lives - Coothill. I just want to say that everything I ever imagined about Ireland is true! It is indeed a magical place and everyone treated us like royalty. There should be a new word for the colour green as there is nothing quite like it. Impossible to describe the lush, verdant, earthiness of it....I couldn\'t stop exclaiming how beautiful it was. When one thinks of Irish people, you immediately think of friendly, rosy-cheeked people with a twinkle in their eye. There is a sign in the local pub that says: "There are no strangers here...only friends who haven\'t met". Doesn\'t that just say it all? It is in this pub that I partook of my first (of rather too many) Guiness\'. I ordered a glass first, trying to be ladylike and by the next night, just ordered a pint. The great thing about the Irish is that nobody\'s counting and nobody cares! They just want you to be happy and have a great time. And we did! There was a good turnout of locals, all who wanted to greet us and I can honestly say I made some new friends that night. They didn\'t disappoint and we sang pub songs and laughed until very late. It was exactly how I imagined it would be, everybody knew one another and I found myself sitting with a farmer, a dentist, a butcher and the local judge.
Just to be clear, I did not spend the entire time drinking Guiness. Gerry and I went for a long walk one afternoon in the forest near a small lake. It was a bit wet, but I didn\'t care because it gave us a chance to talk and catch up and philosophise about life. He told me all about Coothill and the surrounding area, the history, the people and the changes and challenges they face today. I think Ireland is one of the hardest recession-hit countries in the EU but somehow, you get the feeling it will all be okay. It\'s just how they are. We all reminisced about our time on the camino and then in Santiago where Martha joined Gerry and we got to know her too.
The next morning I decided I wanted to go to Mass and everyone decided to go with me. We went to the little country parish church which was quaint, old, and very charming. I loved it. I especially love looking at graveyards with their moss covered headstones and the names and dates of the families from many years ago.
We decided to spend the last day in Dublin but to be honest, I enjoyed the countryside so much more. We just didn\'t have enough time to do anything there but it was nice to wander the busy streets and enjoy our last few hours in Ireland. It is a place I know I must go to again, but next time it will be in the spring or summer!

And the Wind Cried Mary

Today marks the 14th anniversary of my sister Mary's death. On January 2nd, 1998, she and five others died in an avalanche while back country skiing in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. Today I went for a long walk on the beach and thought about Mary as I always do on this day. As I reflect back to that time, tears spring easily to my eyes when I remember the shock and disbelief that this could have happened only eight months after my brother John died of cancer. It is astonishing to me that fourteen years have gone by; that somehow we survived this terrible grief, the unimaginable sadness, and have gone on to live our lives. I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly live without my sister. My sister who was devoted to my children, spending much of her free time as a teenager playing with them and looking after them. She spent many nights at our house, sleeping  over and then going to school in the morning. She was more than my sister...she was a great companion, a true friend, a second mother to Sarah, Robbie and James whom she adored, and they her. To this day, I wonder what it would have been like if she were still alive. Would she be married? How many children would she have? Where would she be living? So many unanswered questions. So many years not lived.
The amazing thing is, I still remember the sound of her voice, her laugh - oh how we laughed! I remember her smile, her energy, her touch. She lives on in my memory - and remains always beautiful, young, with everything to live for.
I don't think I will ever forget any of those things. 
Thank God.

I Miss George!

I think he is happy with Norm and Carrie though!

Happy New Year

I had a lovely Christmas here in Liverpool with my Aunt and Uncle, cousins and their children (second cousins once removed...?)and, though I really missed my kids and my Mum, managed to enjoy myself immensely. On Christmas Eve, I went to Chorley where my cousin Ruth lives, to sing carols in the village square. It was pouring rain but we had a lovely time anyway, ending up in the pub across the road afterwards. It always amazes me to see children welcome in the pubs. It was packed with people who all know each other, toasting to a happy Christmas. Later, I walked to midnight mass, which felt familiar and I really enjoyed the organ and choir in the church, putting me firmly into the spirit of Christmas. A few weeks ago, I asked if I could decorate the Christmas table so when my cousin's wife Maddy showed an interest as well, we put our creative heads together and designed a table even Martha couldn't pull off! It was fabulous!. The day unfolded much as any other Christmas with gifts, good food, visits from family and, of course, the turkey dinner with all the trimmings. I felt warmly welcomed by all my family and so appreciated being included.

So it seems that it is not possible to be spontaneous when it comes to international travel these days. I decided to go to India for a couple of months and applied for a visa with confidence that I, as a Canadian citizen, would be granted one without any trouble. Not so. Apparently they want me to apply from my home country. I am in the process of applying for my British passport which would make it easier. Since my parents were both born in the UK, i am already a citizen but need a passport to make it official. It takes 6 weeks to be processed and then I have to have an interview which means I\'m grounded here in England for the next six weeks. It\'s too bad I didn\'t think of this before I left home! But I didn\'t know I would be travelling for such a long time. Anyway, it is totally worth it to see it through while I\'m here and will just have to find something to do while I wait. I can think of a few: walking the Coast-to-Coast, or the West Highland Way, both would be great.....in the spring! It will be cold and probably rainy but I\'d like to do it nevertheless. I would also like to spend a good week in London and see all the sights as it really doesn't matter what the weather is like when you're in a museum or art gallery. Anyway, I am headed to Ireland next week to meet up with two Camino buddies (SO excited) and will send the paperwork after that as I need my passport to go to Ireland. So, instead of India, I will probably do more of east Africa and the middle east.

My great Aunty Margy passed away today. After three weeks of gradually slipping away, she died peacefully in her sleep and I am thankful that she did not suffer. Even so, it is sad when a loved one dies and I see from my relatives who knew her their whole lives, that her passing is hard for them. I visited her only yesterday and wondered when her time would come. She had a great, long life and was surrounded by so many people in her final days. I think that is how it should be. At age 96, she was the last remaining member of that generation on my mother's side, marking the end of an era. May she rest in peace.

Tomorrow I am off to Chorely with my cousin Rachel and her two boys to spend New Years' Eve with my cousin Ruth, and her family. It's beautiful there, typical English countryside and quaint village life. We will have a good time I'm sure, playing games and bringing in the new year!
I wish everyone a happy and safe New Year, sending much love from across the pond!
Xoxoxoxox

Recipe

Here is a truly English recipe:
ENJOY!!!!

Chocolate Guiness Cake

1 c Guinness stout
5 oz unsalted butter
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c superfine sugar (caster sugar)
2 eggs
2 c all purpose sugar
3/4 c sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2-1/2 tsp baking soda

Topping:
8 oz cream cheese
1-1/4 cups icing sugar
1/2 c double cream

Method:
Preheat oven to 350*, line and butter a 9" springform pan.
Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter in slices and heat until butter is melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar.
Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the pan with the beer and butter, finally whisk in the flour and b.soda. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 45min to an hour.
Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack; it will be a damp cake.
When the cake is cold, sit it on a flat plate ready to cover with the topping.
Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sift the icing sugar and mix with the cream cheese in a processor or by hand. Add the cream and beat again until the mixture is spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the cake so that it looks like the frothy top of the famous pint!

Christmas Eve

Twas the night before Christmas....

Here I am in Liverpool, celebrating Christmas with my Aunts, uncle, and cousins. We have a full house here at Sue and Terry's with their eldest son Will and his wife Anne along with their two little boys, Arty and Harry; Tim and Maddy from NYC. It's lovely to be able to spend time with them as I have not seen them in years and have never had the opportunity to get to know them growing up. My other Aunt, Angela lives here as well and has four daughters - Gemma, Mel (married to Phil, 4 children - Molly, Oliver, Lily, and George), Rachel, who lives in Ethiopia with her husband Al and their two children Theo and Nathanial; Ruth, married to Roland and they have three children - Mabel, Barney, and Monty and they live in Chorley, about 45 min from Liverpool. I spent a lovely evening in Chorley with Ruth, Roland and Rachel and all the kids where we sang carols in the village square and heard the Christmas story. Even though it was raining heavily, it was picturesque and brought the meaning of Christmas alive. A couple of pints in the local pub, children in tow, and then back to Ruth's for tea. I have an hour before midnight Mass so thought I'd try and catch up on my blog.

Not too much happening other than planning next travels and organising the paperwork for my British passport. I found out that technically I am a british citizen because my parents were both born here but I need to have proof as in citizenship papers or a passport. Once I have a passport, I can travel freely within the European Union using my UK passport, and I can live and work here without restrictions. I'm not saying I will do that, but it's nice to have the option. Anyway, it means I'm grounded for a few weeks while everything is in process. I'll travel around Britain, seeing some of the places I have not yet seen and visit people I haven't seen in a long time. God knows I have enough relatives here so that should keep me busy for a while.

Well, it is just after 11:00 and I must get ready for Midnight Mass. I think of all my friends and loved ones with much love and wish everyone a very Happy Christmas.

Jena xoxoxoxox

The Lake District - Take one

My Aunt and Uncle and I made an attempt to get away before the big Christmas rush set in. We decided to go to the Lake District, a mountainous region in northwest England. I have heard of it many times though have never been and since I am missing my walking, thought it would be a great place to go as it is known as a great walking area.I We settled on Penrith Lake in Cumbria and a B&B called Johnby Hall near the little hamlet of Greystoke. Johnby Hall is a 14th century Tudor manor house currently being run by Henry and Anna Howard (I had to wonder, given the age of the house, if he is a descendent of THE Howards...) The weather was cold, rainy and miserable so we stopped on the way in a place called Hawkeshead, a small village where they were having a christmas fair. Despite the weather, there was a good turn out of people and we had a great time wandering around the quaint little shops and tasting the locally made cheese, sausages, and meat pies. When the rain got really bad, we popped into the pub to warm up. I loved this little village and understood why Beatrix Potter was so inspired there (it is where she lived and wrote her lovely books).
After getting lost, we finally arrived at Johnby Hall where we were warmly greeted by our host Henry. There were two studios, one in the main house and one in an outbuilding on the property. After getting settled, we headed down the the local pub for a hearty meal and some wine (I won't say how much). It was a clear, beautiful night and as I walked across the driveway to my bed, I tried to ignore how cold it was...and the snow that was beginning to pile up on the ground! I awoke to blue sky and, though it was cold, I was determined to go for a good long walk. Terry and I had a plan; a 7 mile walk near the lake and we were prepared with good boots, warm clothes, and a flask of hot something. We breakfasted in the Great Hall and it was drafty and cold. Fortunately for me, I was having a hot flash and sat there in my t-shirt much to the horror of our hosts. It was a delicious full English breakfast, the meat and eggs made from their own hand reared, free range pigs and chickens. Whilst we were eating, Sue got a call from her sister Angela saying that Aunty Margy was not doing well at all. After some discussion, we decided to go back to Liverpool but would try and do a short walk before we left. When we went outside, the weather had turned completely and there was a veritable blizzard! We packed up, apologised to our host and made the treacherous drive back to the city.
I'm determined there will be a "Take Two"!
(did you notice that I am beginning to use the word "whilst"? And my new swear word is "bollocks". I may pass the citizenship test after all!)