Last Day of the Old Milk Market

Well, someone up there must have been listening to me yesterday because today has been a great day. I even managed to get some heavy duty washing dry without having to resort to the tumble dryer.
This morning we headed into Limerick City to do our rounds of the Milk Market : a weekly open-air market that sells much more than just milk. I'm glad we made it in, because today was it's last day in it's current incarnation. It is due to be closed for 6 months while it is refurbished and covered with a roof. Speaking to some of the traders, Theresa and Olivier, there is a mixed reaction to these changes. It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out.
I am reading an anthology of short articles by Mother Teresa that sort of resolves the conflict I posted about yesterday. She writes, 'children [need someone] to receive them, to pay attention to them, to encourage them if they are sad, to share their joy if they are happy. They long for somebody to accept them, to love them, to praise them, to be proud of them.' It sounds fairly obvious and simple, of course, but if I concentrated on doing just those 'little things' as she calls them -'by kindness, by sharing joy, by sharing a smile', I would really be doing well I think. Back to Therese's Little Way. If I could just manage that, it could change our little part of the world.
On another note, if you can, pray for Fr Michael Sinnott, the 79 year old who is still being held by a gang in the Philippines.

Not enough hours in the day...

It's been a while since I wrote anything on my blog, partly because I can't send things from my phone anymore, which was so handy for quickly posting photos of what we were doing. The other reason is that I feel guilty spending time on the computer. Really there is always something that is more pressing or justifiable for me to do than blogging. Usually that involves something fairly boring like, for example, hanging washing on the airers so it can hang there limply and pointlessly for a day or two until I reluctantly have to put it into the tumble dryer. (The weather is too bad to put washing outside on the line at the moment. I must say, I love watching it dancing there on a breezy day. Especially babygros- they look like little fat babies dancing in formation.) St Thérèse's Little Way really comes into its own here: when wearisome tasks fill my time I think of her in the convent doing her chores.
Other important things include looking after the two lads of course, which is not tedious or boring because I love doing it, but is not compatible with sitting in front of a computer screen. Although I am home all day, I don't seem to have time to do all the things that need to be done and finish the day feeling as though I haven't done enough to keep the house tidy, reduce the laundry mountain, banish the dust bunnies and watch my little fellas being little fellas. In the evening I want to spend time and talk with Lee, but often we are both absorbed in something that excludes the other. Am I really bad at managing my time?
Incidentally, perceived lack of time is one reason I don't respond to the lovely comments that wonderful people leave on my blog. But please be assured, Anne, Maria, Mary and anyone else who's been kind enough to say something (and spend the time here), that I really appreciate your words and thoughts and prayers. And in turn I feel privileged to be able to follow your inspiring blogs and share our faith.

St Therese's Feast Day

Happy Feast Day my friend! And she really is a friend.
The thing is, I'm not alone in that thought. While reading the account of the visit of her relics to Ireland in 2001, (St Therese in Ireland) it struck me that people kept referring to her as a friend or part of their family. She must be such a busy little saint, speaking to and helping all those people on God's behalf!
It also occurred to me that her visit came during the Foot and Mouth crisis, when many of our friends headed to the U.K. for lucrative work. Me and Lee stayed here, missing out on well-paid work, but of course we had the opportunity to visit St Therese's relics while they were here. I think we got a better deal!