NorthDownMuse

The Flight of the Earls

I am now updating the blog well into the future. Thinking back to this day, my big accomplishment was extracting my winter clothes and shoes from the various cubbyholes where they spend the summer and inserting them into the closet and drawers recently vacated by summer clothes, which then get

The Brilliant O'Briain

Yesterday’s conference was at the Culloden Hotel & Spa, which looks like this: It has a lovely view of Belfast Lough. OK, now that that’s out of the way... Today, I decided I’m not sick anymore and went for a run this morning, worked on my utility

Energy Future

I attended a conference from 9-2 today on the future of the energy market in Northern Ireland. I took notes furiously the whole time because I’m writing up the event for the Belfast Telegraph. It’s a good opportunity for me to get a byline but I’m annoyed

Subpar

I haven’t been feeling my best for nearly two weeks. Mostly OK during the day but terrible sore throats at night. I haven’t been running or swimming. I played golf once last week but I haven’t played so far this week. I haven’t been to swing

By the Seaside

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside. Yesterday I took the train to Portrush and had lunch with Swing Belfast dancer Maria, who lives there, and Rhoda, another Swing Belfast dancer from Antrim. We ate in what used to be the Portstewart golf club and is now an

BCGC

Yesterday I went to see the Belfast Community Gospel Choir. The woman who runs it, Marie, is all about the joy. Bringing joy into people’s lives. She’s very good at it. In between the choir’s joyful songs, she mixes it up with the audience. She met Mary,

Autumn Flair, part two

Yesterday I saw a film after I walked around the autumn fair for a while. First, some of the entries in the flower arranging contest: I should have noted the judges’ comments on each entry. The judges are very big on whether the top and bottom are in proper proportion

Autumn Flair

This post is dedicated to my mom, who has made so many families happy down the years by smocking an outfit to be worn by the family’s youngest member. These dresses, gowns, bonnets, and little boy overalls became heirlooms in many families, preserved for future generations. What a gift

The Truth Commissioner

The book I finished recently was about four men. The titular figure leads a panel that hears from combatants during the Troubles. The other three men are combatants. The combatants are given immunity in return for their honest recollection of their role in a murder or murders. The idea is

Make-up movies

I don’t think I’ve been to a film since I was in the states. This week I saw three. Tuesday I saw Black 47, which takes place in 1847 Connemara during the famine. It is in reality a western, with a soldier returning to Ireland to take bloody

Say on Pay

I have a lot to say on pay today. First regarding the Northern Ireland General Assembly, which hasn’t been in session since January 2017. The Sinn Fein-Democratic Unionist coalition collapsed when SF called out the DUP on its corrupt cash-for-ash scheme, supposedly a green energy scheme, however the main

TAL

Today’s highlight was a long walk during which I listened to a This American Life podcast. I have long wanted to master the art of listening to podcasts on my phone. I wouldn’t say I have mastered it. I have an app on the phone where I can

Grey Abbey

Today is European Heritage Open Day, when a lot of things that aren’t usually open to the public open their doors. And a lot of places that ARE open to the public jump on the bandwagon to pump up their traffic. The pdf for this event lists 300 properties

GBBO2018

I woke up with cold symptoms and so laid low today. Luckily, I have good entertainment. I’m reading a really good book, The Truth Commissioner, and the fabulous Great British Bake Off is back on, as is Extra Slice, where a group of comedians sift through the events of

Lovely Belvoir

I played golf by myself on Monday and played with two friends today. I played much better on Monday. I think it’s something about being able to focus and not being distracted by chatting with friends. That’s my excuse anyhow. Today there was a busload of Americans playing

Hello Plastic!

I recently signed up for Hello Fresh, which delivers a box to your door every week with six meals--three recipes, two portions each. I’ve signed up for the first three weeks--with some attractive discounts. After that, my guess is I’ll go with once per month. It isn’t

Fun on the plantation

I was at a dance the other night where the soundtrack went beyond the usual swing music to include some ska (slower) and balboa (faster) tracks. Among the eclectic mix was a song I sang in elementary school in Virginia in the early 1970s: I went to Alabama to pick

Try-athlon

I did three demanding things today. First, I applied for two jobs in London, one with PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment), one with ShareAction. One application required five short essays (no more than 250 words each) selling myself. The other a 300-word cover letter. Second, I played 12 holes of

Mount Stewart dividend

Another bonus from yesterday’s trip down the Ards peninsula was a (deep blue) hydrangea plant I bought at Mount Stewart, the last one they had. Most National Trust properties sell plants and I always buy something interesting when I’m there. On the way home, I bought a second

Mount Stewart Silence

Today we went to Mount Stewart for “Conversations,” an annual talkfest put on by the BBC, with panels discussing digital democracy, Russian politics, the history of Mount Stewart, and other interesting topics. The tickets are free and the BBC doles them out in a lottery. They grant many more tickets

Estate Agent

Otherwise known as a Realtor. So I had an estate agent visit the house today to give an estimated market value. Which meant I vacuumed and dusted every corner of the house, trimmed the wisteria, mopped the floors, etc. I didn’t run or swim this morning just so I’

Go Tell it on the Mountain

On the radio today was the case of a woman who, unhappy with her body after having three children, went to Turkey for a Brazilian surgery--removing fat from the waist and injecting it into the butt, getting that Kardashian look that is all the rage. She died after the fat

The Answer is Not Blowing in the Wind

The interview went well this morning. But preparing for it and spending two hours taking notes furiously kind of wore me out. I’m still not sure what angle to take in the article, which will determine whom I approach to try to get it published. I think it’s

IIGCC

Today was a nutty day. It was the deadline for applying for two jobs I’m interested in with the Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change. I don’t want to work in London but the jobs are interesting and I haven’t found any better options here. The bank

Auld Lammas Fair

Today was a bank holiday so David was off. Rather than me attacking my list of things to do, as I had planned, David & I headed for Ballycastle to check out the Auld Lammas Fair, which is nearly 400 years old--the oldest in Ireland. It was once a place