Scatterlings of Africa

Memories of Africa from a post I wrote two years ago, hope you enjoy.

Retirement and beyond

This  song was written by a South African singer, Johnny Clegg, and tells about the many people who were born in Africa, or  who, like me,  lived there for a considerable time, and are now scattered all over the world.

I was born in Ireland, but moved to Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia) in the 70s when I was newly wed and looking for adventure and a new life.    My four children were born there, and I stayed in Zimbabwe until 2002, almost 30 years.  We lived in a peaceful country with a great climate, in a country with lots of natural beauty, and with lots of wildlife and amazing scenery, sunrises and  sunsets like no other.   Life was good, we watched our children take their first steps, starting their own big adventures, learning to walk, learning to run, but always within the comfort of home and within…

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Weekly Photo Challenge : Tiny

For this week’s Photo Challenge, let’s go back to the Model Railway Village in Clonakilty, West Cork.   We had such an enjoyable day there in the summer, not only did we see and get a ride around the town on the old train, but we also got to see the models of the surrounding towns, showing life in the 1940s and 1950s  in Ireland.

Market day long ago

Above is a scene from an old market day, with produce, cattle, sheep and pigs on display to the highest bidder.

 

The model railway station shows commuters waiting for the train, as a goods train passes carrying new cars.

My ‘giant’ grandchildren!

Looking down on the tiny houses!

Linked to WPC : Tiny

Wordless Wednesday : The Little Viking is Enjoying the View!

The Little Viking

Tuesdays of Texture : The Glass Ceiling

This is the detail of one of the ceilings in the Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club in Dublin, a beautiful building dating back to 1840.   This ceiling is in the card room, where our son recently got married, and the workmanship and the plasterwork make this a  spectacular room

Having fun in the Card Room before the ceremony

Oh to live in such a place – you can read more about the club here, and its famous visitors over the years

 

Linked to Narami’s Tuesdays of Texture

 

Leaving Cork

This piece was written by a fellow Corkwoman, and I have felt the same every time I left Cork to go back to my ‘other life’ in a far away country.

The Cork Woman

My first piece ever, was published in The Irish Examiner.

Leaving Cork is something I’d expect to be getting used to at this point.  I’ve been doing it seriously for 21 years now. That first time was the worst.  Right before leaving for the airport my Dad and I took a walk down a country boreen by his house in Waterfall, and I waited for him to ask me not to go.  I would have changed my mind so easily then.  But he didn’t.  Instead he talked about the power of youth and opportunity, and the importance of being brave with your life.  That was all very inspiring of course, but what I really wanted him to say was, “Leave? Don’t be ridiculous.  Come back inside and we’ll have a cup of tea”. He didn’t though, and I sobbed and sighed all the way to Shannon, and then heaved my…

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Vibrant : Weekly Photo Challenge

This is my ‘Vibrant‘ entry, my grand daughter, Caitlin, having fun in the Norwegian snow, all wrapped up in her winter colours, falling down, getting up again, falling down again, and getting covered in snow, and loving it all!

having fun in the snow

Color Your World : Cornflower

Ancient flagstones

Yet another blue for this challenge, this time Cornflower. and I took this photo when visiting Worms in Germany.  The ancient cobblestones have grass growing between them, and they are so old that they have turned a shade of blue, almost matching my grandson’s tractor boots, while my own shoes do a good job of blending in!

Linked to Color Your World