belgianwaffle

The Challenges of Leadership

2 November, 2020
Posted in: Princess

Herself held a zoom training session for her student council this morning. It was facilitated by a student organisation. Last Friday week she sent all of her council members home with letters to be signed by their parents allowing for them to stay at home for the first three classes this morning so that they could join the zoom session (children from different years/classes can’t be in the same room together and all of their engagement is virtual which is a pain).

Last week she repeatedly emailed the facilitator and texted him until on Friday he confirmed the zoom link. All 13 of her committee members confirmed that they had got the link and given in the permission slip duly signed.

On Saturday the two second years on the committee said that actually they hadn’t got their permission slips signed and wouldn’t be coming. She gave them the wording on the slip (via text message in Irish – all of this is via text message in Irish, imagine) told them to write it out, get their parents to sign, take a picture of it and send in to the school. Then she alerted the relevant teacher that it would be coming and asked her to confirm to the disorganised second years that they could stay at home for the zoom session and come to school late.

On Sunday, another student said that she couldn’t come as she had a (surprise?) dental appointment on Monday.

This morning, two of the committee members claimed that they would have trouble getting a lift to school at the later time and had come into school at the normal time and therefore would not be able to attend the meeting. Herself described this as “not credible” on the basis that one of the offenders lives within walking distance of the school.

One of the committee members (one of the second years) came to school by accident and then panicked and refused to answer any of the texts from the increasingly frustrated student council president. Herself then rang a teacher, got her to hunt down the errant second year and put her in a – hard to find – empty room to take the call.

She had 11 out of 14 members there in the end including herself. This could well be the death of her. On the other hand, useful life lessons right here.

NaBloPoMo

1 November, 2020
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Work

It’s November lads. Do you know what that means? Yes indeed, I will be posting every day. I’ve a lot on this month as it happens but am I daunted? Well, a bit. We’ll see how it goes. I see an old blogging comrade in arms is going to give it a go; I recommend you head over to her site for excellent content, she writes beautifully.

So back to diarying. I had left you in mid-October. What has happened since then you wonder. Well, wonder no longer, your wait is over.

Monday, October 19, 2020

Mr. Waffle and I went for an early morning tea before work. Sitting outside in a slightly gloomy nearby square. This was in part to recover from a perplexing anxiety dream where Mr. Waffle was leaving me. Confusingly he was Julia Roberts and if only I could stop him appearing on the Late Late Show, he wouldn’t leave me. The children were small, he was leaving me with them. I kept trying to talk to him to persuade him not to go on but was constantly interrupted by the old man from the Vicar of Dibley who says, “No, no, no, no, yes.” Unfairly, I concede, I was inclined to blame Mr. Waffle for his nefarious behaviour in my dream hence the tea to soothe my unquiet unconscious mind.

I arrived into work to be told by a colleague that I looked absolutely exhausted. Which we all know just means you look terrible. He wouldn’t have looked so great if he’d been trying to persuade his husband/Julia Roberts not to leave him overnight.

Herself has turned down the chance to chair the main Irish committee in school and is feeling some regret but there is only so much one girl can do. One of her classmates (not a friend) had a party at the weekend about which herself was feeling quite sore but the guards raided the party and sent them all about their business so that was gratifying.

The authorities announced that we would be moving to Level 5 max lockdown level from Wednesday at midnight. I really don’t care any more. It’s not like lockdown 1 as the schools will – hallelujah – still be open. On the other hand, our cleaner won’t be able to come. Sigh. Back to the rota.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

I realise that the libraries will be closed on level 5. Gutted.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

I had an interview for a new job over zoom. The horror. Daniel bought a dozen Agatha Christie novels from his charity shop and I feel we are stocked with lockdown reading material.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

My boss has decided that I am an individual whose physical presence is indispensable in the office. On the whole, I am glad. I am not a great worker from home, it transpires. So Day 1 of Level 5 is not that different from Level 3.

A friend of mine has got Covid. She’s the first person I know well to have it. She is sick as a dog and her husband and son have got it too. Miserable.

Friday, October 23, 2020

The children wore outfits for Halloween in school. It was thematic by class. Herself had pairs (she’s Juliet from the Baz Luhrmann Romeo andJuliet), Daniel had football (pathetic theme as he said bitterly) and Michael’s class didn’t bother but he went in as a Nazgul from the Lord of the Rings. Admire his crown crafted from tin foil and a cereal box. Great to see that the traditional crafts are not dying out.

There was a kerfuffle about hand sanitiser and the school, anxious to allay concern bombarded us with emails saying they had the right kind.

It was the bank holiday weekend. Never was a bank holiday more welcome for all of us. Admittedly the children only went back to school at the start of September but it’s felt like a long haul. And I’ve been very busy at work and worked late and a bit over weekends, so I was flattened.

I bought myself some more Spode Christmas ware. Middle aged pleasures. Herself hates it and says it’s right up there with my old person filters on instagram in hideousness.

We had the 20th anniversary meeting of my Monday night bookclub (moved to Friday in view of special occasion) over zoom. Not really the celebration we had imagined but look, we do what we can.

One of my bookclub friends confessed that she has become a daily sea swimmer. My sister-in-law is the same. I am impressed and horrified in equal measure. The cold.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

The weather continues very mild. Halloween does not appear to be effectively holding back the tide of incongruous Christmas advertising which is everywhere. Brown Thomas have launched their Christmas window. I want to turn on the Aga, because I love it but it’s just too warm. “Always Christmas and never winter,” said Mr. Waffle.

Next door’s gardener came (booked many months ago, finally had a moment) and did some much needed clearing in the garden and trimmed back the apple trees (still loads of bloody apples falling in the garden notwithstanding that it’s nearly November and that the trees were stripped of 83 kgs worth a couple of weeks ago).

Michael, Mr. Waffle and I went to the Botanic Gardens to investigate their Halloween pumpkin display. It was not as impressive as previous years.

Poor Daniel hurt his neck at training and had to cycle home unable to look left or right. He survived.

Herself started reading “Ulysses” by James Joyce as a lockdown project. She loves it. Where did we get her? She took a break to make brandy snaps for me. Very satisfactory.

The school emailed that there was another Covid case in school; that’s 5 or 6 but they all seem to have got it outside school and not transmitted inside so, I suppose, that’s ok.

The picture framers texted me that I could pick up some pictures I dropped in to be framed a couple of weeks ago. I was a bit surprised but apparently lots of places are open for click and collect.

On my way home, I ran into a woman who lives near us. Her children went to the same primary and we often walked in together. I said a cheery hello and she seemed a bit put out. I stopped to talk and it transpires that, boy oh boy, is she annoyed by the filtered permeability (what normal people call bollards) at the bottom of our road. I ended up listening to her for the guts of an hour. She was unconvinced by the arguments on traffic evaporation. It didn’t help that I had parked in front of her house. That was only to pick up the pictures from the framer and, in fact, I have used the car even less than usual since the introduction of the bollards but I suppose it didn’t look great. Basically, she feels that all the traffic that uses our road is now using her small, residential road as a rat run. Anyhow, I said that I would definitely support her efforts to make her road local access and it would be good for all of us etc. and cravenly promised to put her in touch with the chair of our residents’ association who is amazing (he does film production and I suppose lockdown has been quiet for him and he has put his not inconsiderable energies into local issues). Ok, possibly an unnecessarily detailed local update but I was quite shocked how annoyed this generally pleasant and quite reserved person was about something that I thought she would broadly support.

For film night we had “The Addams Family” which was perfect in its endearingly creepy yet undemanding nature.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

I wanted to go for a walk in the mountains but the children were spared by my realisation that they are outside our 5km limit and also, Daniel’s neck though improving was still a bit stuck. Mr. Waffle and I went for a cycle along the canal instead and saw a heron.

In more exciting bird news, there was a hawk in the back garden. It stayed for ages. Does this explain the dead pigeon on top of a bush from a couple of weeks ago?

I had my other bookclub (Sunday bookclub, keep up) over zoom which was nice though nowhere near as nice as physical bookclub.

Monday, October 26, 2020

We had a slow start to the bank holiday Monday. There was an exciting letter in the paper from my friend’s mother. The excitement is there really, the content was less exciting.

Mr. Waffle and the boys (Daniel’s neck recovered) and I went out for a cycle in the park in the rain. They’ve opened the park to traffic again and it’s really busy now. Alas. It was great in lockdown 1 in the spring when it was closed to traffic. Herself met a friend and they had a lovely cycle in the park she tells me. It was the first time she had gone for a cycle with a friend for fun and she rates it as an experience. The poor young people, they’re taking their thrills where they can get them at the moment.

When we got home Mr. Waffle made me afternoon tea. There should be more afternoon tea in my life.

Meanwhile my poor nephew is self-isolating again while waiting for a Covid test.

I decided not to apply the cleaning rota and live the next week in squalor.

At bedtime, I went to put on my alarm. Then remembering the criticism from previous occasions (the beeping noise it makes when being set), I just left it set for the time it was set for (9.30) on the basis that I would probably wake up and worst case scenario if I got up at 9.30 I could be a bit late.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Back to work. At 9.30 safely at my desk, I got an irate message from Mr. Waffle saying the alarm had gone off an woken them all (children on mid-term and Mr. Waffle minding them). Oh dear.

I heard I got through my interview. Reward: further interview. I’m not sure I entirely rejoice as I don’t think I will get the job and the prep is killing me.

I met a friend for a cup of tea in the park. We sat 2 metres apart and shouted at each other. Since I last met her 6 weeks ago, she has got a job in the west of Ireland and herself and her husband have gone sale agreed on a small apartment by the sea as a base there. She says that they can decide based on the weather if they’ll spend the week in Galway or Dublin – this whole remote working thing is really changing people’s lives. She also had a copy of Dutch Royals magazine for me. She’s married to a Dutchman and her mother-in-law knows I have a morbid fascination with European royalty so gave it to her to hand on to me. My Dutch is rudimentary but boy did I enjoy that magazine. I mean did you know that the Monegasque royal family have a holiday home in Northern France? Interesting choice. Hilariously, wikipedia tells me that “its acreage is six times the size of Monaco. A whole world out there.

I cycled home in the dark (the clocks changed at the weekend) but herself told me to rejoice as I was coming home to the middle class parent’s dream: “Your three children are just off a zoom call with their French tutor; Michael is making dinner; Daniel is making chocolate mousse; I’m making brioche and I’ve just finished “Ulysses”. ”

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

I received a further irate message from home that the alarm had gone off at 9.30 again but Mr. Waffle had now made the device safe. Oops.

Also the gardener finished his work and the garden is looking a bit bald but, basically, I am pleased.

Mr. Waffle attended the residents’ association meeting by zoom. One of the older residents hasn’t really got the hang of zoom and they spent the meeting talking to her ear. She also had the telly on in the background and the chair asked could she mute it but she said no, it was a very interesting documentary about Kevin Barry. I love her.

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Arrival of Spode! The thrill.

Friday, October 30, 2020

I got my half day. Rejoice. All of the local restaurants now have a takeaway option and we picked up dinner from the local gastropub which was surprisingly good given that I had mussels and chips which you wouldn’t expect to be particularly portable.

Further good news, it was announced that they’re going to close most of the local park to traffic again for the duration of lockdown.

Saturday, October 31, 2020

I dropped into the church for the first time in ages. It is pretty weird with all of the tape and one way system.

I spent the morning avoiding work so had to get down and do it in the afternoon.

Herself did an interview with an arts organisation as part of the Creative Schools Programme and it was published online. Much excitement.

For film night, Daniel picked a scary film as it was Halloween. We are not great people for scary films. My niece has starred in a real – would have had a cinematic release but for Covid – scary film but it is 18s and we are too scared to watch it. We watched “A Quiet Place”. Many of us went next door at the scary bits. I was fine because I remembered this blind comedian talking about it – mildly funny, in summary not a great film to watch if you rely on dialogue to follow a film.

All in all, a pretty quiet Halloween.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Another morning procrastinating and not getting down to work that has to be done before Monday. At about 4, I finished up and Mr. Waffle, Michael and I went for a walk around the block: Daniel had already been to training and herself had work to do. It was a bit damp and uninspiring though, as Michael said kindly, good company.

And here we are. Still no cleaning rota but Mr. Waffle cleaned the bathrooms because he is a saint. More tomorrow. Something to look forward to.

Neverending

18 October, 2020
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Family, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Work

Monday, October 5, 2020

After the nation nearly getting heart failure at the prospect of a move to level 5 (maximum lockdown), the Government decided against following the public health advice. General feeling – relief.

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Daniel had an earache and I finished off the Calpol on him. “Better buy some more,” I said to Mr. Waffle. “It may be time to move on now that our youngest is 15,” said he. Fair.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

I got absolutely sodden on my cycle home from work. Daniel is volunteering in a charity shop on Wednesday afternoons as part of his Transition Year experience. It’s been a really good experience so far, I think. He’s met lots of people from different countries (Irish volunteers seem thin on the ground) and he’s learnt how to manage a till. A man came in to the shop and asked whether he could barter for new clothes and they had to turn him away as they have a cash only policy and Daniel was a bit upset. As well he might be but what can you do?

Thursday, October 8, 2020

I have no recollection of anything that happened. Alas.

Friday, October 9, 2020

We moved film night to Saturday. Exciting times.

Saturday, October 10, 2020

On Saturdays I like to go around the house chucking out any flowers which have died and going out to the garden to pick new ones. At this time of year it’s mostly berries but it’s still nice to have some greenery around the house. I went out to the garden with my secateurs in hand to tackle the bush at the end of the garden which is berry rich. What did I find, lying on top of the bush, very dead and with one wing in the air? A large decomposing pigeon that’s what. I went squealing to the house and everyone had a good laugh at me and Mr. Waffle disposed of the corpse in due course. I had noticed a lot of pigeon feathers on the path earlier in the week but I remain unsure as to how the corpse ended up on top of a bush. Disturbing.

For cinema night Mr. Waffle picked a French flick called “Bienvenue Ã Marly-Gomont” which was supposed to be feel good and funny but we weren’t so sure. The French are a bit less saccharine than their American counterparts.

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Herself continues to have interesting anxiety dreams. She arrived downstairs to tell us, “Last night I dreamt I went to Iraq and forgot to tell you guys.” Her father said, “But then you rang your mother from Baghdad to tell her you wanted a lift?” She left in what Myles na gCopaleen calls “that lofty vehicle, high dudgeon.”

We went out to Dun Laoghaire for a walk on the pier and saw the cousins afterwards which was very pleasant.

Monday, October 12, 2020

Michael and Daniel started their first week of work experience. They were supposed to be going into a friend’s office but, obviously, offices are not really a thing at the moment. Daniel’s charity shop agreed to have him in for the week and Mr. Waffle took Michael in with him. The latter arrangement succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Michael quite liked working with his father and he carried out all the tasks assigned to him with an efficiency which startled both his parents. When I came home he proudly showed me a 35 page list of references which he had updated and amended. The only slight problem was that Mr. Waffle had expected the task to last all week.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

We got an unsurprising but nonetheless disappointing email from Daniel’s Thursday course organisers that the course would be online for the remainder of the term. It’s really not the same.

Herself, in her role as grand vizier and major figure on campus, has featured in quite a good school video and we are very proud. She is concerned that she has made some terrible error in relation to the tuiseal ginideach and cannot enjoy her triumph.

I made everyone sit down to watch “Brave New World” which I thought the boys and I, at least, would enjoy and then the woman intoned from the box: This contains scenes of a sexual nature, violence and strong language right from the beginning. Why, I mean why?

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

In view of his Thursday course going entirely online, Daniel had organised online fun with his classmates for them to get to know each other. One girl took one look at him and asked whether he was related to the Princess. Apparently they had known each other in some Youth Parliament. Daniel was a bit surprised by this development but was unconcerned. Sometimes I think she knows every child in Dublin through her constant committeeing.

I was rather pleased to be applied to by herself for my management expertise in dealing with her student committee in school. I gave my advice unstintingly (it is always so much easier to give advice than to apply it, isn’t it?). I was pleased to note that it worked too.

Thursday, October 15, 2020

One of my colleagues announced at the start of an otherwise entirely unlovely meeting that he and his girlfriend are having their first baby in February. I met a friend for lunch outside. Small thrills.

Friday, October 16, 2020

A lovely colleague got promoted. It is so nice to see competent, pleasant people getting ahead. I rejoice. I had a very busy working afternoon so got take away for dinner for everyone. I feel a bit bad but as my mother used to say, “I can’t find grief for everything”.

Her little cousin in London recorded a message for the Princess and it was really sweet and touching but it made me feel so sad as well. London is so far away now, when will we ever see them again? It’s a full year now and that is a very long time in the life of a little girl.

I had to work in the morning so I decided that I would set the alarm clock before going to bed. It was a new alarm clock and it was not intuitive to use. It made a loud beeping noise every time I pushed its buttons. I was on the landing with the light on and Mr. Waffle marched out of our bedroom to demand what I was doing. Daniel turned up at his bedroom door and glared at me. Eventually I went downstairs with the leaflet which my loving husband threw at me.

Maybe we’ll be going to level 5. I’m past caring.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

The morning brought a further discussion of my nocturnal alarm clock setting. I have never seen the other four members of the family quite so unanimous about anything. I think of myself as bringing the family together.

Sadly, I was working all day and I saw as I battled through work debris that several of my colleagues were also online. What can I say, it’s a busy time.

Daniel went in to volunteer at his charity shop for the afternoon and met the weekend security guard for the first time. He’s an Indian guy who played junior cricket for India but now is in Ireland studying data analytics during the week and working at weekends. Apparently he has no time for cricket which seems a pity but I suppose it isn’t really cricket season.

I realise that I am really not looking forward to the people who will describe, in due course, all the wonderful things they achieved in lockdown. Bruce Springsteen was first up in today’s paper talking about his new album and his daily swims. Blah.

We had â€œBlackkklansmanâ€ for cinema night. A bit unnerving.

Sunday, October 18, 2020

I dutifully worked all morning and then went out for a cycle with the boys and Mr. Waffle in the afternoon leaving herself to labour over her homework. It was a lovely day and the park looked absolutely beautiful, so that was nice.

Over a cup of tea, Mr. Waffle asked whether I had seen his letter in the paper the previous day. It was then that I discovered, to my great chagrin, that, not having read Friday’s paper on Friday I had read it on Saturday thinking it was Saturday’s. Am I losing my mind?

I did a further hour’s work and called it a day. Ho hum. Hope your weekend was cheerier than mine.

Knee Deep in the New Normal

4 October, 2020
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Hodge, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Work

Monday September 21, 2020

Mr. Waffle and I went to a nearby cafe and sat outside for breakfast. I’ve had worse. “It’s like skiing,” said he. You’re cold, you’re all wrapped up, you’re outside and it’s surprisingly sunny. Sun cream was unnecessary though. That’s as close as we’re going to get to skiing for a while, I’d say.

I ate my lunch in the park and that too was surprisingly pleasant.

Herself finally interviewed her person in the arts for her artistic school project. She really enjoyed this project and put a lot of work into it and her interviewee seems to have enjoyed it as well. We’ll get to see the finished project on the organisation’s website later in the year. Small thrills.

Meanwhile, the boys learnt how to use a defibrillator as part of their Transition Year school experience. Good to know, I guess.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, herself is now head of the student council and most powerful student in the school.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

I forgot that it was my turn to make the sandwiches for school. Everyone survived and herself is vindicated in her decision to take over this work herself making ever-more elaborate vegetarian offerings.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

I finally got to go to my dentist for my six month delayed check-up. My teeth are fine, I’m sure you’ll be delighted to hear.

I rang a pub where a former colleague and I often meet for lunch to know whether they were taking outside diners (permissible under our level 3 Covid rules). Yes, normally Thursday to Sunday but not, said the barman, the following day: “It’s going to be wet, so we’ll be closed, we’re like farmers now, relying on the weather,” he remarked bitterly.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Dan had to do his transition year exciting outside school course via zoom from home which was not at all what he had been hoping for. Alas.

As the barman had predicted, it was very wet indeed and I got absolutely soaked cycling home from work. I passed miserable groups of people eating outdoors, coats on, hunched over their food trying to avoid the rain driving in sideways underneath the canopies. I’m not sure eating out this way in the winter will be sustainable.

Friday, September 25, 2020

I ended up, yet again, working my half-day and arrived home quite late – 7ish. This meant a delayed start to cinema night – Enola Holmes (alright) – and herself had to bail and go to bed before the end of the film as, lucky her, she had extra maths classes in the morning. Unsatisfactory.

Out of the blue, Daniel said he loved the time we made candles on holidays. This was during our holiday in Kerry in 2011 when he was 6. The day as I remembered it was characterised by driving rain and misery but it just goes to show, you never know what they will like and remember.

In other news, herself has found a website which calculates your Leaving Cert points and what courses they will qualify you for. She put in my results and her father’s and told us, “You could have got quite good Leaving Certs, actually.” Since we’re both 30 odd years out of school – and thought we had both got quite good leaving certs in the 80s when we sat our exams – this wasn’t the ringing endorsement it might have been.

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Herself confided at breakfast that she had had an anxiety dream (presumably inspired by the wretched Leaving Cert.). She had been on University Challenge and the picture round had been identifying French philosophers and she had buzzed in that the philospher pictured was Sartre but it was actually Derrida. I’m enjoying the quality of her anxiety dreams.

Michael and I picked some more apples, literally the low hanging fruit. Still a great number of apples in the upper branches of the trees. Alas.

I rehung all the pictures on the landing – on what a friend of mine calls the honoured ancestors wall – to include the two new pictures of herself that I got framed. It took a lot out of me but I am very pleased with the result.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

It was the boys’ 15th birthday. When herself celebrated her 17th birthday in lock down in April, I really didn’t think we would still be here in September. More fool me. Still we were readier for it and I think they had quite a nice day. We began with an elaborate breakfast and as we sat down and I looked around at my lovely family I said, “I really don’t think I could be happier and, obviously, I don’t want to die or anything but, if I did, I would die happy.” There was a pause and Daniel said, “Well, you know what Nana always said?” “What?” I asked. Himself, his siblings and his father chorused, “Always leave when you’re enjoying yourself most.” They’re hilarious.

My sister went to all sorts of trouble for their birthday presents and they unwrapped a blizzard of things from her to add to what they had got from their loving parents and their aunt and uncle in London. Lucky boys.

Mr. Waffle and I left them to play with their new video games and went off for a walk in the Botanic Gardens which was crowded but pleasant.

I began the process of making mint jelly (which is mostly apple jelly with mint added).

A birthday post on the boys will follow in due course. Something for everyone to look forward to, doubtless.

Monday, September 28, 2020

My office is freezing. Possibly the authorities have decided they won’t heat the building for the few of us deemed essential, at least we’re getting out of the house, what more do we want? I wore a green woollen poncho type thing to keep myself warm. I thought it looked fine until herself asked me why I was dressed like Paddington.

We gave away some apples by leaving a box at the front gate. Rejoice. In fact this turned out to be successful beyond our wildest dreams and we managed to give away a box a day until the weekend.

We had my Monday night book club by zoom and one of our members pointed out that our October meeting would have been our 20th anniversary. I wish we were meeting live. It’s been great, the bookclub. One of our younger members reminisced that when we started, we were all 4/5 years older than her and we were busy admiring door handles in each other’s houses (we were all buying or about to buy houses) and she thought how dull we were, but she stuck it out and as I pointed out gleefully, there’s not really any difference between 46 and 50 so it’s all evened out in the end. I do miss meeting people in person.

The children had the day off school, possibly because everyone has suffered enough but more likely because of a teacher training day.

We’re trying a new wifi provider. Mr. Waffle had some difficulty with installation and became annoyed with people who inadvertently threw out what looked like spare packaging but was a vital part of the new infrastructure. Trying times at Waffle Towers.

I finished making the mint jelly. It’s not green naturally you know. Commercial mint jelly manufacturers add colouring. Probably not the colouring I added.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

My mint jelly did not set. Sigh. On the other hand, it’s perfect for Halloween.

A man came to look at our upstairs bathroom with a view to getting it redone. He is to send in an estimate – perhaps a new bathroom by Christmas. Thrilling.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

We got a note from the school that there were three additional Covid cases in the student body, but we’re all to carry on, they’ve been inspected, all is well. It’s a bit unnerving all the same.

My sister got promoted. She seemed underwhelmed but I am suitably impressed. She has a very flash new title and more money to spend. What’s not to love?

Thursday, October 1, 2020

It was a really fine day and I had lunch outside a pub with a friend but it was a bit nippy. I should have brought my Paddington poncho.

We lit our first fire of the season.

Friday, October 2, 2020

Our saviours came in the form of an organisation called Falling Fruit which picks spare fruit and gives it to good causes. They got 83 kgs of apples from our trees. We rejoice. They gave them to a cider maker who volunteered to give â‚¬80 to a charity of our choice. We sent it to Threshold which was founded by my father’s cousin so that was pleasing.

They arrived as Mr. Waffle was about to tuck into a salmon bagel and he went to the front door to let them in. When he returned, it was to find the cat tucking in to the salmon from his bagel. We thought she didn’t like salmon but it turns out she likes it if it’s wild salmon. He was summoned away again by the Falling Fruit people and this time he put a cover over his bagel. When he returned, his bagel was safe but the cat was on the work surface tucking into salmon straight from the packet where he had, admittedly foolishly, left it. Still, a small price to pay.

Mr. Waffle and herself were talking about dinners over the weekend and he said, he was missing an ingredient. “Could you substitute Delia seeds?” she asked. An understandable error.

Mr. Waffle and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and I was felled by a migraine half way round. I took some tablets and went to bed for a couple of hours but I felt a bit sorry for myself.

Michael chose Gladiator for film night which I rather enjoyed -partly because the muted colour palette suited my migraine – but it is both long and bloody. Herself had to bail early again due to the ongoing demands of extra maths classes.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

I went into town to pick up various supplies. Town was absolutely heaving. Loads of people eating outside. I quite enjoyed my little trip to what felt like normality but it does worry me a bit also.

Mr. Waffle and I went for a cycle in the park which, sadly, has been re-opened to cars and is much less pleasant than it was during lockdown when it wasn’t bisected by traffic. We ran into a neighbour in the park who remarked that he had seen us in Clifden when they were driving through in the summer. Incidentally, this is why Irish people can’t have affairs.

Herself spent the day undergoing cold turkey. She’s decided she spends too much time on the internet so has locked herself off internet on her phone and given herself 15 minutes a day on instragram, twitter and tiktok. Her friend has the code to unlock the internet and instructions not to give it to her. She is bereft.

The boys went to get their hair cut. The hairdresser asked whether they were cousins and Daniel said that no, they were twin brothers. She commented to Daniel that he should share his food with his brother which when reported back to his family made us all laugh.

The boys spoke to their grandfather via Skype to thank him for his generous gift to their (frankly overflowing) coffers. It does make me sad that they can’t go to Cork to visit him.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

I cannot believe that I am saying this but I really miss mass. Extraordinary.

The weather was awful but we had a cousin and his parents around in the afternoon which really cheered us up. Everyone is fed up though. When will it all end?

17

26 September, 2020
Posted in: Princess

Herself was 17 on April 12 so this is, even by my standards, a particularly belated birthday post. Look, there’s a pandemic on. I understand from a friend of my father’s now, unhappily, deceased that during the second world war when Ireland was neutral but in a state of emergency, known as “the emergency”, it was used an excuse for all sorts of unrelated delays and problems: “Don’t you know there’s an emergency?” I cannot imagine why that might have sprung to mind.

So she still has her braces. The pandemic may put back their removal. She is, understandably, very bitter. She still has a gap between her front teeth but otherwise they look perfectly straight and even underneath their metal shield. Of course, she didn’t have a gap between her front teeth when she started the treatment so we will all be pretty annoyed if the orthodontist cannot make it go away.

She had a good fourth year in school with a starring role in the transition year musical and then her school summer trip to Zambia. Fifth year in school was going fine too until the pandemic cut her academic year short. She has a full social life and lots of friends. While she is still on a lot of committees, some of the committee attendance has been replaced by going to concerts. I feel a little ambivalent about that. The committees seemed much safer.

She is still a vegetarian and recently confided to me that she is a vegan outside the home but is not vegan at home as she knows it would tip me over the edge. This is an entirely correct assessment. I am not the world’s best cook and nor am I much good at remembering to make a vegetarian option. I often end up heating up something frozen at the last minute. Hence her regularly repeated mournful refrain: “The vegetarian always eats last”. As she is now (finally) taller than me, my oft repeated concern that being a vegetarian might stunt her growth is ever less convincing.

This last year, she dipped a toe in enterprise setting up a little online shop to sell her clothes second hand. She found it all a lot of work and the returns poor. That’s a valuable lesson right there, I suppose. Babysitting for her little cousin was, I think, more lucrative until, sadly, her cousin, uncle and aunt all moved back to London.

We haven’t seen her natural hair colour in some years. Much of 16 she spent as a white blonde but she’s grown much of it out in the pandemic. Exciting.

In the past year, I notice she’s more inclined to take her bike when she’s going in to town to meet people. While at one level, I rejoice, I always worry that she will be run over.

She is still not sporty and, I suppose that this is unlikely to change very much at this stage. She does love swimming in the sea though.

She is only two and a half years older than her brothers but sometimes she feels a lot older. She’s a bit old for her age, they’re a bit young. They view all her utterances as gospel and if she is a bit snarky to them, they are very cast down. She doesn’t realise her own power and sometimes they drive her crazy but mostly she regards them with mild fondness.

It sometimes feels that they don’t have a lot in common other than school. While she has always been very resistant to revealing any information, the boys tell us things about school and she regards them as fifth columnists.

Academically, she continues to do well. She’s hardworking, bright and genuinely naturally interested in the kind of things that might lead to you doing well in exams. For example at this moment she is reading a biography of the poet Louis MacNeice which she picked up for herself in a second hand bookshop. Is he on her course? Nope, just interested.

While she was in Zambia, my mother died. I think it was probably worse for me than for her that she was away, but it was no picnic for either of us.

She was in a short film for the Dublin film festival and her face was on the (virtual) poster. I was extremely excited; much more so than my ultra cool child. We saw the film just before lockdown – it was fine, possibly a bit arty for me but, you know, featuring my first born.

She is quite cool. She is always wearing exciting and unusual outfits which are generally successful. She’s really interested in fashion. I have no idea where this came from. The greatest compliment which you can pay her is to ask whether she is a student at the National College of Art and Design.

She took some of my mother’s old clothes after she died and re-purposed them. I love seeing her wearing them. Firstly, because they remind me of my mother and secondly because my mother was a big believer in hand-me-downs and would be delighted to see clothes she paid good money for getting another lease of life.

She is very interested in politics and social movements. On her Friday half day she used to go off and march for climate change; in fact she is an inveterate marcher for all kinds of causes. She follows all our local politicians on twitter and knows their views. She had a long old chat with one of the general election candidates on the door step earlier this year about his views on penal reform.

Last summer (2019) she went, for the last time, to this three week residential summer course she has been doing for years. She always loved it and made loads of good friends and I was keen that she should do it again this year but she said that no, she was ready to conclude that chapter of her life. That proved a pretty prescient choice.

Increasingly, living with her feels like living with an adult. I find her endlessly charming and entertaining. While I wouldn’t say we never argue, these occasions are becoming rarer and rarer. Her independence and self-sufficiency which were a worry when she was younger and constantly pushing boundaries are now great as she is very smart and street savvy and has a good sense of what is safe and what might not be. As she stands on the threshold of adulthood, I am very proud of her. Honestly, she’s a delight.

Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness

20 September, 2020
Posted in: Boys, Cork, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess

Monday, September 7, 2020

It lashed rain. Except for Mr. Waffle, we were all back at school and work – not virtually but really. It was not the weather for a real commute but we were all pretty glad to be back except Michael who is not one bit glad, not even slightly glad and pines for lockdown.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

There were some teething problems with the boys’ new bikes. They could not keep their school bags on their new carriers. I went and attached them using my superior skills but they informed me bitterly that evening that they came off and fell into the puddles, if anything, even faster than when they had attached them by themselves. Further work required.

There was heady excitement about the filtered permeability (or bollards) at the end of the road which local councillors were to vote on. I honestly don’t know when there has been more interest in a traffic calming measure. You will be delighted to hear that councillors voted to extend the trial to end January. Yes, I know, you’re fascinated.

My sister sent the children presents to celebrate their return to school. Great excitement.

I made apple chutney. Less excitement.

Mr. Waffle seriously endangered our marriage by going out and buying four apples. I nearly had a fit. He now knows, that if he wants an apple he should get up a ladder and pick one, I’m not even making him eat windfalls.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

We discovered that Michael had no runners. I could wish that he had told us this before 8 in the morning on the day he was going to an adventure centre. He took mine. I’m not bitter.

I met a friend for lunch in town – v thrilling indeed. Slowly things are returning to normal. Rejoice.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

I picked some more apples – literally the low-hanging fruit. When will the apple harvest end? The boys did a thing that sounded like some kind of away day management exercise at school. They absolutely loved it; its the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen them both after a day at school. When Transition Year works, it’s really good.

Friday, September 11, 2020

Yet again, I arrived at the library doors 3 minutes before closing and, yet again, I was denied entry to paradise. Yes, there’s a message there. I dropped an enormous jar of very hot apple jelly on the kitchen floor and spent the next hour mopping and picking up broken glass and it was still sticky underfoot for days. Sigh.

For cinema night, we watched “Fire Saga” which wasn’t bad but would have been better if the children had ever seen the Eurovision Song Contest.

Saturday, September 12, 2020

I got an early train to Cork. It was a beautiful morning when I arrived. It’s hard to think of anywhere nicer than Cork in sunshine. I stopped off at the Crawford gallery on the way to my parents’ house. Not one but two friends sent me this link while I was actually in the gallery. Hard to know what to say. We intellectuals are often got at.

'The definition of an intellectual in Cork is someone who goes into the Crawford Art Gallery when it isn't raining'

Top tips for Dubs heading for Cork to avoid lockdown.#askaudreyvids #askaudrey #Cork @CrawfordArtGall #Dublin pic.twitter.com/uTLRvUoVgP
— Reggie, Blackrock Road (@Askaudreylike) September 11, 2020

I see that the gallery has a new acquisition, a picture which appears in another picture – one of my favourite things.

I saw everyone in the family, my 95 year old father, my 91 year old aunt, my brother and my sister and prayed that I was not infecting them with stray germs from Covid-ridden Dublin. In my further family history explorations, I discovered that growing up my father and aunt had a terrier called Sandy whom my father cordially loathed, apparently Sandy was very nippy and it was a rush to close the gate so that the postman could get out with his ankles intact. This may explain why he was never open to getting a family dog. His father died when he was very young and he didn’t seem much of his father’s family afterwards but he asked me to check the census to see whether he had had an aunt Nan. He had. He said that he remembered her crying as she sewed black diamonds on to the men’s sleeves when his grandfather (his father’s father) died. He also said that Uncle Jack his father’s brother was very good at maths and used to give grinds. Those good at maths genes passed down to my father but skipped neatly over me and on to herself who also really enjoys maths.

Sunday, September 13, 2020

A mad dash for the train which I just about made. It turns out you can cycle from my parents’ house to the station in 20 minutes but I wouldn’t recommend it.

I got home and found that the apple jelly had failed to set. Typical.

Monday, September 14, 2020

I had another lunch out. Let joy be unconfined.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Lunch out again. I’m on a roll here. We discover that Michael does not in fact love working in a charity shop on Wednesday afternoons for Transition Year. Daniel continues keen though, so there’s that.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Apple stocks are at crisis levels and there are still three trees full of apples out the back.

When I was growing up, my parents had 11 or 12 apple trees in the back gardens which were a magnet for local children who would come in and steal them much to my father’s chagrin – I remember him running out to the garden in fury and children scattering at speed. On one memorable occasion, a classmate was telling me about a great place for “slogging apples”. The expression was new to me but the meaning was clear. On investigation it turned out to be my garden which left me feeling a little awkward but she was charmed by the discovery. Frankly, at this stage I would welcome an apple slogger.

Dublin is on Level 2+ of the new national Covid plan and I reflect guiltily on my lunches out.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Daniel is doing this course on Thursdays during Transition Year – it’s a university level taster thing. Did he know anyone on the course? Yes, Ben who he met on a summer science course a couple of years ago. They are like debutantes, these middle class children – they keep meeting the same people on the circuit.

A friend I met for lunch posted me some masks made by her 15 year old daughter. They are amazing – v. impressively constructed. Herself instantly nicked them both. I’ve ordered a couple of more as I think masks are going to be with us for the long haul.

We get an email from the principal saying that there is a confirmed Covid case in the school. Not a surprise but not exactly welcome news either.

Friday, September 18, 2020

With the greatest difficulty I acquire an Irish textbook for Michael from the Irish language bookshop in town which was closed but opened its doors to me when I tapped on the window. I was justifiably proud.

Mr. Waffle and I go out for a last lunch before lockdown. We also picked up a couple of pictures of herself I had dropped in for framing – dear but worth it. I make more jelly. It sets. What will I do with it all?

I had been going to visit a friend of my mother’s over the weekend but she says perhaps better not. To nobody’s surprise, Dublin moves to level 3 – cafes and pubs closed with only outside eating, no travelling outside the county. We probably need a bigger radiator.

This was culture night and we normally go out but not this year, alas. We watched “Being John Malkovich” for film night and it remains one of the oddest films I’ve ever seen in my life.

Mr. Waffle and I were due to go on a weekend away for the weekend in April (in Northern Ireland) and we had to cancel and replaced it with a trip in October. I very much fear we won’t be able to go in October either. Oh well. Worse things happen at sea.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

I had to take herself into town to a course so had a wander around. It wasn’t as quiet as I expected now that we are in Level 3 but it wasn’t buzzing either.

We all worked on tidying up the garden (except herself who was swotting for a physics exam on Monday) – it was effective but a bit dull. As was a trip to the tile shop to talk about the bathroom renovation. Welcome to middle age, I suppose.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

In a potential game changer development, my sister tells me that apple jelly is the base for mint jelly – just add mint.

Mr. Waffle, the boys and I played a bit of tennis.

I feel in general much was achieved this weekend, but I have had more fun weekends.

You may or may not have noticed that I have been diarying every day since the start of Covid. I just want to have some idea what on earth I am doing in this weird period when everything seems slightly the same. Feel free to look away at any stage.