I need help!!!!!!

Yes folks I have finally admitted it I need help! The people that know me well have known that for years, but I'm sorry to disappoint you its not THAT sort of help I'm seeking! Yes I know I have been certifiable for years, but no one has been willing to do anything about it.........YET!(I'm sure DH will do it one day!)

However this is a plea from the heart. When I returned from my "Irish adventure" I discovered I could no longer access my email addy.....the one where all my knitty pals emails and blogs were stored. I have been trying for the past weeks to get it all back but to no avail.So if you read this blog could you please leave a message so I can access your blog and then save them in my favourites. I also have a new email addy, so if you want to contact me that way it is knit1rugby2ATyahooDOTcoDOTuk .

If anyone has been trying to contact me and I have not returned an email, that is why. I was also a member of several yahoo groups and can't remember which ones so have been unable to access them too. It's a terrible thing "old age"!!

All help will be gratefully received. Thankx in anticipation.

The Land of the Leprachauns! (part two)!

OK so here is part two of my Irish Adventure, and what an adventure it turned out to be!

As I said in part one, we had a really great time seeing lots of interesting places and the weather wasn't too bad either so we even managed to spend several afternoons on the beautiful beaches in Donegal.


Here you see (in the distance) my parents and the boys, walking on Narin beach. The lovely white sand just seemed to go on for miles and miles. It was wonderfully peaceful walking there. It was like you were on a desert island!!



Here are the boys on one of the many beautiful beaches on Cruit Island (pronounced Critch Island), which was only a few minutes in the car from where we were staying. The Island is accessed by a bridge and the roads are very narrow, with passing places every few yards, just in case you meet anything going in the other direction!!


This is a view of Owey Island, taken from the beach just down from the 9 hole golf course on Cruit Island.






OK I hope you are prepared for this, coz it is a first for gourdongirl! In nearly two years of blogging this is the very first picture of yours truly! Its not a very good pic of me, but the background is pretty good! Please excuse the windswept look, but it was pretty windy!!!



This is taken from outside the Viking House Hotel in Kincasslagh, looking towards Rosses Bay.
I hate getting my picture taken, so this is very rare. I'm usually the one taking the pix, but my mum persuaded me to get one taken with the boys, so one has to do what ones mum asks! (Yes I know, mum, that will be a first!)

Now for the adventure part!

All was going well and we were enjoying our last day in Ireland before we made the epic return journey on the 20th August. We had made plans to meet up with some friends who live in Donegal, so were traveling to meet them when the car lost power and literally died! On closer examination (when I lifted the hood) I discovered that I had a burst radiator and there was water and oil everywhere! The fact that there was oil all over the engine made me think it was something more serious than just a burst radiator. We contacted our friends who in turn set out to rescue us! In the mean time a very kind passerby saw our predicament and took me to a garage. Now if this wasn't bad enough it was a Sunday and everything was closed! The VERY kind mechanic came to see what he could do and the long and the short of it was not a lot at that point! I, then was towed to the garage where the car remained for the next 5 days! After much phoning on the mechanics part he finally managed to get the parts needed to repair the car enough to allow me to get home. The car wasn't quite right, but right enough that with a bit of luck and a wing and a lot of prayers we would get home.

Everyone we came into contact with....Kitty and Brian (the owners of the B&B where we were staying), J Gallagher (the garage owner), The Flannagan Family, Bert, Helen,Rab and Jean who were all just brilliant and supportive through out the week and especially my parents, whom I will never be able to thank enough for all the support and help (and much, much more)they gave me during THAT week and since.

Now the daunting drive home was even worse, as I had to nurse a sick car all the way across Ireland, then all the way across Scotland. It was a horrible, stressful journey, coz if the car stalled when hot, for some reason it wouldn't start, so basically I didn't have to stop! One of the worst parts was when Bert (who followed us and supported us all the way to Glasgow) flashed his lights to indicate there was a problem. When I stopped (but left the engine running)he informed me I had hit a dead fox and had dislodged my back bumper (fender) which now needed to be tied up! An other nervous part of the journey was when I needed to fill up with petrol (gas) and just knew I had to do this without switching off the engine or we would be stuck in the west coast of Scotland. At this point I just wanted to get home. However 13 hours after we left Kincasslagh, I finally fell out of the car in Musselburgh. Boy was I glad to get home. I think that must have been the most stressful, fraught journey I have ever made, and believe me I would NEVER wish to repeat it.

The kids thought it was great, coz they got an extra week off school!!!

No more adventures for me for a while, don't think my nerves could stand it!

What time of day are you?

I found this whilst reading Robin's blog and thought it would be interesting to see what it come up with......

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. Yup, I suppose that is true! You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Not sure about this one. Don't really have much time for reflection! Certainly don't have time in the morning when I get up and I usually just flop into bed at the end of the day! Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. Yup, I'd agree with this bit. Although I do enjoy cooking etc for friends, I don't do it very often. However I do enjoy looking for pressies for people and seeing their reaction to what I've found! All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be. Yup, I'd probably agree with this bit.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Leave me a comment to let me know what you are!
(Surprise, surprise, Robin, we are the same!!!!)

The Land of the Leprachauns! (part one)

As promised, here is an account of my Irish trip.I warn you there are A LOT of pix in this post!

Off we all set, bright and early on Saturday 11th August. We knew it would be a very long day, as we had to travel right across Scotland from Musselburgh to Troon on the West coast to catch the ferry to Larne in Northern Ireland.

Thankfully the kids are both early risers, so the 6am start wasn't too bad!!!! They both enjoyed the 2 hour ferry journey across the Irish Sea, as neither had been on a ferry before. We arrived slightly later than scheduled, but rested and ready to face an other long journey. This time a drive right across Ireland from Larne to Kincasslagh in Donegal, crossing the border at Derry. (For those who don't know Kincasslagh is the home village of country singer Daniel O'Donnell).

Eventually we arrived at our destination, a lovely cottage on the edge of Rosses Bay.



This is what we looked out on..........as I said wonderful views!!!!




We had planned to do a fair bit of sight seeing as well as going to see The Fisher Folk in concert. (The Fisher Folk is the folk group which my dad plays in, and we were on holiday in Ireland coz they were on tour!)

Here they are playing in The Viking House Hotel in Kincasslagh, which used to be owned by Daniel O'Donnell's sister Margo. (My dad is playing the bodhran on the right!) They finished up their tour at Leo's Tavern, the home of Clannad and Enya. They went down a storm and thoroughly enjoyed themselves! (So did we!)




Robert had never seen his Granda play and was totally enthralled by the whole experience!


He never took his eyes off him the whole night!

We drove all over Donegal and I mean all over Donegal! Visiting Glenveagh Castle and National Park, Ionad Cois Locha (Dunlewy), Dunfanaghy workhouse, Fintown railway, Father McDyer's Folk Village in Glencolumbkille, Killybegs, Triona Design at Ardara, Narin Bay and all places in between!!!

Lots of pix now, so skip to next blog if you don't want to see some of my holiday snaps!



Here are the boys on the climbing wall at Ionad Cois Locha.




and with the giant soup pan at Dunfanaghy Workhouse!




Here are a couple of pix I took at Triona's Design in Ardara.


The one on the right is of the looms and the one on the left really took my fancy, its a spinning wheel made from bike parts. (Spinningfishwife this one is especially for you!)


This is Glengesh Pass, which is a VERY steep minor road enroute from Ardara to Glencolumkille.






These two pix were taken at Father McDyer's Folk Village. The one the left is a 17th Century woolwinder and on the right is a loom and spinning wheel dating from around the 1850s.




OK,one last pic for this post. Its one of my favorites from the trip.



Its the boys paddling in Rosses Bay at about 21:00 hours. It was freezing, but they didn't seem to feel it!

The next installment will follow soon!

Rugby Season once again!

I know this is predominantly a knitting blog but I also blog about the other loves in my life........My kids and rugby! There will be some (not a lot) of knitting content to this post, so please bare with me for a bit yet.

Well the rugby season is well under way and this year it seems to be taking up even more of my "free" time!!!




The kids started training back in August and Ronan won the player of the week on his first week back! They have had a few training games, but this Sunday sees us at our first tournament of the season, at North Berwick. This is usually quite a tough one as it is so early in the season.





Musselburgh RFC 1st XV were promoted to the 2nd Division of the Premiership this season, so that has seen us play some hard games. At our home game last Saturday, Robert and one of his team mates (Joe) were the 1st XV mascots. Both were really nervous and excited about this, as it has never been done at the club before. Being the mascot comprised of getting to "train" with the "big" team prior to the game,


and getting to run out onto the pitch at the start of the game with the team




and having their picture taken with the team.




The parents were invited into the Committee room after the game for food and drinks!!! (So needless to say DH and I went along, but coz were are both involved with various aspects within the club, we are expected to be there for food and drinks after the game anyway!!!! However Joe's aunt enjoyed it!)

In case you haven't heard the Rugby World Cup is taking place at the moment in France. Well the majority of the games are being played in France, but coz they don't have enough top class venues, some of the games are being played at Murrayfield in Edinburgh and The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Obviously I am supporting Scotland, so I was really pleased to see that they had 2 games being played at "home" in Edinburgh. I even managed to get tickets for the game against Romania last night. We won 42:0, taking us to 10 points in Pool C, with 2 wins under our belt.



Here are the boys waiting for the game to start.






and here they are after the game. Murrayfield is all lit up and it looks like an alien space craft has just landed!!!!





Now, as promised, the knitting content of the post!

I managed to get into Ravelry way back in July (I think thats when it was any way)so couldn't resist joining in the Rugby World Cup KAL.



This is what I decided to knit. Its the Long line jacket by Twilleys of Stamford. It is knitted in their Freedom wool and I have chose the wine colour (shade 412) to knit it in. So far I have done the back, both fronts and half of the first sleeve. I know that sounds a lot, but it is knitted on 9mm needles! I am also knitting a pair of "trainer" sox for myself in blue and white (Scotland and Musselburgh's colours!!!). I am nearly finished the second one and still have to take pix of both items!

I must do a post about my holiday to Ireland........soon!

A father's poem to His "Little Boy Blue"

The father of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones has written a moving tribute to his "little boy blue".

Now God wanted a football match
And to play it up in heaven
But first he needed players
And select his first eleven.

Georgie Best, big Brian Labone
The legend Dixie Dean
Alan Ball and Bobby Moore
All made it in the team.

He needed one more player
Someone who would be quick
From up above he looked down
And saw Rhys there in his kit.

So Rhys was taken up above
God took him by the hand
To play the game he loved so much
Where sponsorship is banned.

There is no cheating either as
God is the referee
There are no mega wages
And the transfers they are free.

The games are live on telly
You don't have to subscribe
The players all stay on their feet
Cos no one takes a dive.

So Rhys plays now so happily
To the angels in the crowd
And every time he hits the net
They roar his name so loud.

Have fun my little blue boy
You're safe and in God's care
Till it's time for me to get my boots
And join with you up there.

Home again, home again, jiggitty jig..............

I know its been a while, and when I last blogged I was heading off to the Emerald Isle. Well I have been and now I'm back! In fact I have been back since 25th August, but it has been RATHER hectic in gourdongirls life of late! I know I was supposed to have returned from Ireland on the 20th August....... but .......well THAT'S for an other blog entry!!!


Just for a taster, this is a pic of the sunset taken from the back of the cottage where we were staying for the first week of the Ireland trip. I promise to blog about that soon.



Okay so what have I been up to since my return? Well mainly working. I've done some nights, but over the last week and for the next few weeks I will be up and about during the day as I am scheduled to do days! This in its self is a VERY weird concept after years of night duty!

On the knitting front.....nothing, zilch, nada! Yup thats right I have NOT been near ANY knitting for nearly 4 weeks. This is virtually unheard of, but its a sad fact. However as I am part of the Ravelry Rugby World Cup knitting group I had better get thinking as to what I want to knit, as the Rugby World Cup starts tomorrow and I haven't got a clue!

On the subject of rugby, the rugby season has started! This means for the next 9 months or so every Sunday will be taken up coaching Robert's group and every Saturday for the forseeable future I will be involved with helping out at the 1st XV games!!!!! I am responsible for ensuring there are ball boys/girls at every home game. I MUST BE MAD!

On the weight front, I actually managed to loose 0.5lb when I was on holiday (and that was no mean feat let me tell you!)and this week I managed a further 3.5lb taking my weight loss so far to 52lb!

Oh well better go as thats the washing finished and I still have to pack the boys stuff, as they are off on a camping weekend with Spinning Fishwife, as it is her son's birthday tomorrow. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUNCAN.