Hello all! I'm so sorry I haven't blogged for so long! I keep meaning to but I'm still so new fangled with it all I need to know I have a good time to work out how to do everything all over again! So finally here I am!
Well its been a very busy time since I last posted.
We had our Summer holidays in Ireland as usual. I was slightly delayed in July as my youngest was struck down with the dreaded swine flu! Typical! He was put on Tamiflu which worked wonders and we were able to go the following week. However our happiness was short lived as my mother ended up in hospital the night after our arrival with gall bladder problems! So my Father and I spent a night with her in A&E before she was admitted and kept for over a week.
As I write now she has just been into hospital again this time to have the Gall bladder out. This time she was only in a couple of days and had it removed by keyhole surgery. She is now making a great recovery at home.
Recently too my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary. I wanted something special to happen for this occasion. Sadly my brother who works in Uganda in the Forest there..(see other posts) couldn't get home and neither could his partner, but i decided to go ahead and planned a surprise party for them.
I booked our local pub here in Ashford in County Wicklow, The Chester Beatty, and arranged a fixed price meal. Vegetable soup or melon, followed by carvery, followed by Chefs tasting plate and tea and coffee. This all for 19.99 Euros. We also had a nice kids menu.
I knew I couldn't pay for it all, so I sent out an invite to the people I knew in Mums address book inviting them and asking them along for a lunchtime in October.
I then concentrated on supplying the extras to make it fun!
I made a huge cake and iced it. Recipe is here
http://www.fionasplace.net/Christmas/christmascake.html
Bought in really nice sparkling wine, got table centres of balloons, got gold foil covered heart chocolates and small bottles of bubbles for the tables!
I arranged the lunch for my kids half term so they could come over from England for it.
We spent the day after they arrived doing all the last minute preparations.
The balloons were ordered from Arklow in the shopping centre there, but I was very upset with them. They tied my lovely gold and cream balloons with black ribbons and to bright orange weights! (Halloween) I spent ages having to buy and re-tie them all so they didn't spoil the day! So don't go there anyone who is reading this!
We had friends travelling in for the "do". A cousin and her husband came from South France, and other friends came down from Northern Ireland.
It went so well! What a wonderful day! We had loads of special friends there. Also two high court Judges and a Senator from Dublin! Over 50 guests.
I was so glad I arranged it all!
The week before I had also had a wonderful day visiting the Dail in Dublin. For those of you who do not know that is the Government in the Republic of Ireland. We were invited to lunch by a friend who is a Senator. We also had the tour and saw the main Assembly room where the Government sits. They were debating NAMA the current fuss about the banks and so on. Also saw the Senate and saw our Senator talk there. Lunch in the dining room was also a great experience. I was sorry I'm not more familiar with all the Politicians here as then I would have been able to people spot! However it was totally fascinating anyway. I'm lucky enough to have been a few times before but I never cease to enjoy it as the feeling of history is incredible and there is so much art to see, historical photos such as those when Presidents Kennedy and Clinton visited and so on.
Recently went to see Michael Jacksons film "This is it" I thought it ws fantastic! Particularly if you consider it was never meant to be a feature film that we all got to see. It showed the man in all his talent with no mushy overvoicing. His talent spoke for itself and we, my whole family and I thought it was wonderful!
I will be heading back to England next week to prepare for Christmas when we will yet again be Ireland bound.
My brother is still out in Uganda working in the Impenetrable forest looking after the forest and its animals. He spent about a month back in Indonesia, where he was for the previous job for 10 years. He has a new book out soon.
Tropical Rainforest Ecology, Diversity and Conservation. By Ghazoul and Douglas Sheil (my brother)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tropical-Forest-Ecology-Diversity-Conservation/dp/019928587X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257903246&sr=8-1
It will also be in paperback. I think it will hopefully be used as an educational book as they have developed a lot of new ways of managing rainforest's.
I also twitter now a lot, find me as Fionap19. I also post references to my brothers blog too and his great photographs!!
Sugar flowers adorn the cake made by me. The tin was a foot square! The hearts are cu from sugar paste and marzipan and are dusted with gold
Mum and Dad
The dratted balloons
Mum and Dad at the party
Alexander and I are tired at the end of the party!
Alexander and I are tired at the end of the party!
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