30 something

A title I can't use for much longer as I enter into my final week of being in my 30s. How scary is that? I wanted to post some photos of my recent trip to DC but I can't find the cable for my camera - these are the things that start to happen I suppose.

I also wanted to shout out a big THANK YOU to my sisters for planning and giving me the trip to DC. It was a fantastic treat and I loved every minute of it. Being the youngest and hitting 40 is probably more painful for them than it is for me! At least that's what I'll keep telling myself.




A photo of us not in DC.
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Through the generations

I know Mam & Dad receive postcards from their grandchildren to this day and obviously this was something that started a generation before that....check out this find....

My big sister

Congratulations Ann - we are all very proud of you





(knew I'd get that bottle into a post sometime!)

New Year's Eve 2009

Dad sings Radiohead's Creep:

Snow in Austria

Looks like we brought some of that cold weather from Vienna home with us - my car said -6 degrees C this morning, the coldest I've ever seen it. A white Christmas perhaps??

Getting better

You know parents never stop parenting and thank goodness for that because as I spent last week recovering from my op I would have been lost without the help of my parents. They took a week out of their lives to come and live with me and did everything for me. As a result my recovery went very smoothly and I was able to kick back and take it easy and Jamie was able to go to work as normal without having to take time off (and thanks to Mam came home to a cooked meal every evening). A massive thank you to them both for the week. I miss them already.

Thanks to everyone for the flowers, cards, phone calls and texts. It's great to have so many family & friends wishing me better and my house smells wonderful!

Door to the past

You might remember a couple of years back a post about my Mother always trying to declutter her house of her children's old junk? Well, last weekend I got an offer to take another item away - one which also brings back so many memories. AND I actually considered taking it for all of 6 seconds.

The Enchanted Forest

The Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry, Scotland was where we spent this Halloween. The weather for the most part was very wet but it actually stopped raining for the time we spent in the forest which was great.

We didn't dress up but did some very dodgy face painting to get into the spirit of it. I never saw myself as an artist of any kind and this face painting proves it!

We had a good ol' weekend though and it was the third McGowan / Moriarty trip to Scotland so we can definately now class this as an annual event.

Overheard in Cork

Picture this - we're in Cork, in McDonalds, it's 1am on a Sunday night / Monday morning of a bank holiday weekend (the Jazz weekend no less), two young ladies enjoying their McMeals, one with her 6 inch heels ON THE TABLE next to her as she says to her friend:

"I love this McDonalds, it's like a real restaurant..."

Christmas 2009 draw

Cian (our offical master of ceremonies when it comes to our family Christmas draw) has tonight with a trust worthy witness (ie his Ma) completed the draw for Christmas 2009. And the results are......drumroll please......

in no particular order.....

even louder drumroll please......


Jim Lowe is buying for Rob
Tom is buying for Maureen
Kay is buying for Ann
Siobhan is buying for Jim Lowe
Maureen is buying for Siobhan
Jamie is buying for Ger
Ann is buying for Jennifer
Jennifer is buying for Kay
Jim Farrell is buying for Therese
Therese is buying for Jim Farrell
Ger is buying for Tom
Rob is buying for Jamie

50 euro limit please.

Happy shopping!

Thanks Cian

Another high for Lowe

As one packs her bags for University another just starts out...

Debutante

What can I say? Smart and gorgeous, she obviously takes after me...

Bay Swim 2009

We made it to Kilkee over the weekend to watch the nephews swim this year's bay swim - both small and big bays were swam and both did very well. Fair play!

Whirlwind holiday

THE SHIP


DINING


Sitting here in an apartment in Barcelona just 50 metres from the beach drinking cava and soaking my tired feet (beats sitting here outside a pub....or does it?). We are having a fantastic holiday and I must say I have never had a holiday where I've seen so many beautiful new places. Our favourite so far? Villefranche is up there with Barcelona. Villafranche was definitely the nicest stop on the cruise, a small village on the French Riviera just 3 miles from Nice. And as for Barcelona - we're already planning our next trip here we are so impressed.

The cruise itself was great, a little cheesy in some ways but we had a ball and I'd say we all put on a few pounds from all the food they served us....and ice cream....and cocktails.....and desserts.....and the ice cream (there was a help yourself cone machine by the pool - dangerous or what?). Today Mark got his day and we visited the home of Barca FC in Nou Camp. The weather has been fantasic but we nearly melted in Rome where it hit a high of 37 deg. We just weren't able to handle it and cut or visit to the city short after only visiting the Colosseum.

VILLEFRANCHE


POMPEII


ARRIVING IN NAPLES


BARCELONA (COLOURS OF T-SHIRTS WAS A FLUKE)


ROME


PISA

Happy Birthday Mark

Mark turned 14 yesterday and he got this fab pressie of a netbook which I am now testing for him. I hope he has tiny fingers for these tiny keys. Anyway, happy birthday Mark and now I want one of these all for myself. Oh, did I mention we fly to Barcelona this Friday on hols?? hee hee

Mr Stewart

For an old man he sure knows how to entertain his audience.

Happy Birthday Lee

Lee turned 15 on Saturday and he celebrated with a trip to Blairgowrie (2 hours drive from Glasgow, 15 miles north of Perth) with his mates and we went along for the spin. While driving in the rain on the way there we wondered what we could do with our day but the sun came out as soon as we got there and after a long lunch we took in the scenery on a lovely trek, the photos speak for themselves:





We took a spin further along the road and spotted the Loch of the Lowes - a quick stop for the obvious photo opportunity but the reserve was closed so we kept going to the town of Dunkeld.



We found the perfect pub here on the banks of the river Tay (in TayBank Hotel) which was a musicians paradise - just grap an instrument and play away. The photo just shows one corner of this pub, upstairs it had a music room with another wall full of instruments to use. I would have loved to have just booked in for the night but a group of teenagers were relying on us to get them back to Glasgow (they were camera shy hence no photos of them). This place is definately on our list to return and stay overnight.



Back in Glasgow and we just had time for a birthday tea party before bedtime.





Happy Birthday Lee and thanks for introducing us to another beautiful part of Scotland.

Back to Belgium

This weekend we took a trip to Brussels for the weekend to visit some old haunts. Unfortunately the one we really wanted to have a drink in is closed down - we don't know if it's temporary for refrubishment or permanent. The Celtica bar in Brussels is where we met and we were looking forward to going there for a few drinks and maybe catch some music but it wasn't to be. But there were plenty more establishments to quench the thirst. We also took a day trip to Antwerp which was beautiful as always. We got a good taste of beer and chocolate to keep us going for another while.

First of 2009

This weekend I got to taste my first perriwinkle of 2009. Fishy aroma, fresh and perfectly salted, great size. It was a good pick. The wine wasn't bad either.

Happy St Patricks Day!

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