the spring and some famous visitors

Well, you may all be expecting that I will say that the lovely warm sunny Spring weather we had during Easter break turned into a wonderful early Summer, but....no.
The Spring turned cold and wet and windy on Monday the 2nd of May, and it has remained cold and wet and windy since then. I had to dig out the winter type clothes again, as going to school and freezing in open-toed sandals and cropped trousers was NOT an option. I do not like being cold, especially when I am on yard duty. I really need to be warmly dressed those days, nothing worse than freezing out on the yard with 70 to 80 pupils milling around you!
Would you believe that we were on a beach on Sunday 1st of May? We drove to Barna, near Galway, that day to get some Boiled Linseed Oil to paint the wooden exterior of our (Swedish) Scandinavian house, from Lars, the Swede who owns Scandinavian Homes. After picking up the oil, we drove a short distance to the beach at Silver Strand. The kids went into the water, I didn't, but they don't feel the cold as much as I do. There were lots of other families there too, kids digging sandcastles and hopping in and out of the water. The tide was coming in, and when it had come up so far that it covered the sand, we left and drove home.
That was the last good day we have had this month, weatherwise. Let's hope that we get more summer weather soon...
Life here goes on, sports and school and study and housework squashed in between all the other activities.
The Queen of England came to visit Ireland today!! and she wore GREEN! I was so moved that tears came to my eyes when I saw her getting off the plane wearing green, I just think that's so sweet...
And President Obama is coming in a few days, aren't we lucky to have these famous visitors in Ireland this month.
Jedward did their best for Ireland at the Eurovision and we came 8th.
And our school got the Green Flag, what great news.
I will be going to Thomond Park, the stadium in Limerick which is considered the Home of Munster Rugby, on Friday to be presented with our Green Flag. WooHoo, never been to Thomond Park before, although my elest daughter has been there twice in the past year to see Munster play. Lucky girl! I gotta ask Santa for a present of Munster match tickets next Christmas.

signs of spring on Good Friday, Vårtecken på Långfredag

Idag är det Långfredag, det kallas Good Friday på engelska.
Förut på Irland så höll man denna dag heligt genom att inte äta kött, (fisk tillåts), äta bara 3 mål mat sammanlagt, gå i kyrkan kl 3 på em för ceremonier, och alla affärer brukade vara stängda, inklusive pubbarna.
Nuförtiden är det många affärer som har öppet, och jag måste erkänna att jag var inne i stan en kort sväng imorse för att utföra några ärrenden.
Dessutom så är det en rugby match på gång i Limerick just nu, Munster mot Leinster och pubbarna i Limerick ansökte om lov att få öppna idag, och det fick dem. Så det är mycket som har förändrats på Irland.
Själv så tycker jag att det inte skadar någon, de som vill gå i kyrkan får göra det, utan att dem som inte är katoliker behöver sitta hemma om de inte vill. Det är en fråga om individens valmöjligheter, tycker jag.

Jag tog en promenad på våran väg idag, här ser ni några vårtecken, celandiner, påskliljor, vårvivor, knoppar på min Cornus Alba och på en ask. Det var fler bilder men de kanske är lite för stora att lägga alla in i ett inlägg. Hur stora brukar ni ha era bilder?





Today on Good Friday, the pubs are open for 5 hours in Limerick, there's a well-attended rugby match on in Thomond park between Munster and Leinster, and earlier today both I and my husband were in town shopping and doing errands. All these activities would be unthinkable not so long ago in Ireland on Good Friday.
Things have changed in Ireland, for the best I believe, we need to go further along the road of Church-State separation.
I went for a walk at around 7.30 pm, the sun came out from behind the rainclouds, the road was wet and shiny, the country sparkling with raindrops and there was a lovely light, that clear light that comes after rain in the early evening, when there are still navy blue clouds and rainbows in the sky.
Hope you like the photos, I went a little mad, celandines, daffodils, primroses, yellow flowers on my Forsythia, black buds on an ash tree, buds on the red branches of my dogwood, aka Cornus Alba, as far as I know... What I don't post tonight I'll post tomorrow. Bet ye can't wait!

Regards
liz