Sunday Thoughts

Happy Sunday to all you lovely people out there. I hope you are all keeping well, and if you are in Ireland I hope you are enjoying the four seasons in one day weather, and the huge hailstones! We have had a couple of lovely sunny days though, and I even managed to get some washing dried outside – it’s a miracle!

I’ve been staying close to home for the last couple of weeks, mainly watching Big Brother, so it was lovely to get back out yesterday and go to my usual haunts. My first visit was to Homeland in Rathscanlon, Tubbercurry, they had a garden sale on, and they always have some plants reduced, and you can never have too many plants! The bonus is unlike cakes they don’t have calories! I was chatting to Conor who runs the garden centre, he’s so friendly and helpful and the centre is a credit to him. I bought a couple of plants, and also the amazing Uddermint cream, it’s wonderful for muscle aches and strains.

The first Tubbercurry Trail Parkrun took place yesterday, so I went along to say hello. The place was packed! It was great to see such a wonderful turn-out. I’m not a runner, I tried it a couple of times and my teeth hurt, so I gave up. I do like walking though and the Parkrun also does a park walk, I might try that one day, although I’m a Billy No-mates so I’d probably just feel awkward. In saying that the Parkrun is a friendly, welcoming place, I’ve volunteered a couple of times at the Sligo one, and everyone is lovely, and sometimes they have cake!

My next stop was to Susie’s Bistro which has just opened in Tubbercurry Golf Club. I had a lovely breakfast, their home-made granola is packed full of nuts, and their fruit didn’t taste of onions, which is always a bonus. Read the blog post here.

Onwards to the Tubbercurry Library. In case you didn’t know, it’s free to be a member of the library in Ireland, and there are no fines (phew!) You can also request books, and I’ve just noticed that the online portal tells you the books you’ve already borrowed, I’m not sure if that’s new, but it’s going to be a game-changer for me, as I always judge a book by the cover (I know) and take out books I’ve already read. I had a lovely chat with Marie, the librarian, it was so nice to be sociable after my quiet couple of weeks. By the way, if you are looking for book recommendations I have to mention The Rick O’Shea Book Club on Facebook, there are some amazing book reviewers on there, it’s well worth being a member.

My final stop was Achonry Farmers Market. To quote the theme from Cheers:

“Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they’re always glad you came.”

Well, not everybody knows my name, and indeed they might not always be glad I came, but I do love the place. It’s not just a market, it’s a community. It’s lovely to feel relaxed and to enjoy being there, I sometimes feel quite overwhelmed at other places and dash around so I can leave as quickly as possible, that’s down to my anxiety, not the places, but it’s great to feel calm at Achonry.

Before I go I have to tell you about the Snickers Cake from Le Fournil in Sligo town. I used to love the Peanut Butter Stack in The Swagman, but I’m not usually around when they are open, so I treated myself to a Snickers Cake, and it was amazing! If you love chocolate and nuts, you will love it!

I’m rambling now (of course), so I’ll sign off for this week and wish you all the best for the week ahead.