Irish Folk Furniture

Irish Folk Furniture [clip] (2012) from Alan Eddie on Vimeo.

I was blown away by this wonderful film, Irish Folk Furniture, an animated documentary directed by Tony Donoghue and produced by Cathal Black under the IFB Frameworks animated short film scheme. All filmed within two miles of Donoghue's house with a €150 camera off of Ebay, it was chosen by the Sundance Film Festival from more than 8,000 films sent in for consideration. The film really captures the beauty and simplicity of Irish country life.

hollyhock

I sowed some hollyhock seeds in the spring, and after no action all summer, they have made a surprise appearance in October.  Some cosmos came up, too.  What a weird year.

cake and company

Henry and I spent Sunday berry picking with friends on the road near their farm, before being treated to tea and homemade cream cake.  We decided that we'd take our chances despite the grey skies and were surprised when the sun came out and we had to shed our jackets.  Lots of jam making today!

Forget-me-not

Went for a walk through the churchyard at St. Colman's Cathedral here in Cloyne, the forget-me-nots are amazing!  It's a real deserted cemetery, all wild and overgrown.  The flowers are probably from a pot left on a grave decades ago, self-seeding over and over...all sorts of beautiful flowers everywhere.

Last week we were in the churchyard in Churchtown South, which is completely overgrown with wild garlic!  Very beautiful if unusually fragrant.  It's a really stunning location, a ruined church set amongst farmer's fields with the sea in the distance.  Beautiful spots for a quiet walk.

Another year crossing that bridge...

On May 6, 2008, I was very very pregnant, and tired of waiting for my son to make his debut.  So my husband and I went for a long walk in Glenbower Wood, in Killeagh here in East Cork.  We walked along the river up and down the hill to get that baby on the move.  It worked, and by midnight I was in labour, and Henry was born the next day.

We have decided to bring Henry for that same walk every year to mark his birthday.  Happy 2nd Birthday Henry!  You are the most beautiful thing I have ever made.

Farmer Henry

My husband, son and I live in a little estate in a small village in Co. Cork.  Our house backs on to a farmer's field, and if my son Henry stands in his crib and looks out the window, he sometimes will catch the farmer tending the crop in his tractor.  This has triggered a tractor *obession* with Henry, the first word out of his mouth when he wakes is tractor (quite literally).

"What's that?  A tactow!  What's that?  Wheew?  What's that?  TACTOW!!!"

Yesterday I went to collect my car from my mechanic, who is also a farmer (Ireland for you), and he let Henry 'drive' one of his tractors!  Well, we've now created a Tractor Bore.  We will never hear the end of it.

"Where is the tactow?  Where did it dow?"

Deep, deep joy.