flame headed tulips

my bunch of tulips on their second last day!

a florist opened up in our tiny village, so, always willing to support local business, i got a big bunch of these in the perfect warm orangey red. they've been putting a smile on my face for a week, but now they've lost their petals and have to go...wouldn't you just love a walk through a whole field of these on a sunny day!

pushchairs

buggies used to be so simple! see that one above, circa 1977? i look quite confident pushing my little sis around!

my friend cath and i went to go for a walk on the beach yesterday, with m in tow. c was picking me up in her car, so instead of the pram i was bringing the carseat-buggy combo. as my husband had the buggy i usually use, a quite old but lightweight model, in the car with him, i got the other one, slightly newer but heavier, (another 'present' not put to use yet) collapsed as it was, and put it into c's boot. in skerries we parked and then proceeded to uncollapse the buggy! how embarassing! two grown women fighting with a piece of equipment on the sidewalk! for at least 15 minutes we were pushing all the buttons, unhooking clasps, pulling, pushing, kicking... to no avail! looking at each other in disbelief, at not being able to unfold a pushchair! in the end we packed it into the boot again, and went for a hot chocolate, carrying the baby in the carseat...

of course it took my husband all of 2 minutes to get the hang of it at home, all that was needed was a little pull and shake! like an umbrella! and i usually pride myself on not being intimidated by any piece of technology! i've heard of pregnancy brain, but is there a condition called breastfeeding brain??

scanning old photographs

i'm having great fun (and frustration) scanning old photographs on an old scanner. the software on it is very spartanic, no remembering settings or file locations, and i can only run it 'as administrator' ... (the driver is not really meant for my version of windows, and not approved and possibly a little dodgy)

the fun comes into it when i look at images on screen! this one should be summer 1976, sunday afternoon coffee, i think it's the day of my little sister's christening, that's why my aunt's there, and the good china is out even though we're in the kitchen. on screen little things that i don't really see when i look at a photo in the album jump out at me, expressions on peoples faces, the cute coffee pot on the counter, and the printed glass on the table. i also love the pattern on the high chair!

and of course to me it's amazing how YOUNG everybody looks! i forgot how pretty my aunt was, and my uncle and 2nd cousin were mere boys!

my aunt is wearing a 'kittel' over her skirt and top, white for sundays, they were the 'modern' version of an apron, crackly polyester or 'perlon' sleeveless apron-dresses, and my mum and aunts and granny wore them almost all day every day, goes to show you how much of their day and week was seen as 'work', only for leaving the farm and in the evening the aprons came off.

i might post some more of these as i come across them. it's a pity all those seventies plastics haven't lasted, i'd love that high chair now for my little one!

black ice

(flickr spratmackrel)

i fell on my bum. so sore! i was walking (fast, as it was cold) to the bins, and on the concrete there was nothing, then on the paving - swoosh - wham. the shock reverberated (is that a word?) through my spine all the way to my head! couldn't breathe or get up at first, thank god my friend was there to help me up, she was already in her car pulling off.

i had bum back and headache on the first day, then only bum and backache, now only bum and lower back ache, and only when i get up or sit down or bend .

i was so lucky i wasn't carrying my baby at the time! i was very lucky not to get hurt any worse, too, as i was flat on my back. i should start a gratitude book, and this should be my first entry... i am grateful that i didn't get hurt badly, and that my friend was there to help me and that she stayed until i was sure i could get up and down the stairs and pick up and put down m.