THE JOURNAL

16 November Saturday

Between ourselves, we called him Johnny the Timber. He has delivered trailer loads of firewood to us every year. He also cleans our chimney, although these two jobs are done at different times. He would never bring us firewood and then hop up on the roof to clean the chimney. He cleans chimneys on Saturdays. Top down. He no longer has any timber to sell, so we changed his phone number name to Johnny the Chimney. His Monday to Friday job is as a Postman. So he could also be listed as Johnny the Post, but he is not our Postman so it is best to keep his name tied to the Chimney. Our postman is Derek.

17 November Sunday

The names of places do not change even when they change.

Nugent’s bar is called Maryanne’s by the locals.  Maryanne was Rose’s mother and she ran the pub for decades until it became too much for her and Rose and her husband Davey took over. Maryanne made change in a metal box. She was the only one allowed to go into the box. She held the key and she kept it in her pocket at all times. The name Nugent’s is painted on the front over the window, but it makes no difference. People still speak of meeting down at Maryanne’s for a pint.

The Regional was the name of the big hospital in Cork. It is now Cork University Hospital (CUH ), but if you ask any taxi driver in Cork city to take you to The Regional, you will certainly be delivered to CUH.

The Roundabout was the name of the bar in Ardfinnan. A roundabout is a traffic circle. There is only one roundabout in the village so it is a simple thing to know which bar is being discussed. The bar has been called The Pure Drop for at least twenty-five years. The name, referencing a line from Edmund Spenser’s work The Faerie Queen, is painted in big red letters on the car park end, but most people call it The Roundabout.

18 November Monday

We bought two sorts of blue cheese both made in the Glen of Aherlow. One is called Cool Paddy and the other is Cool Mary. The lady at the cheese stall wrote the name of each one on the paper in which she wrapped the cheese. We took them home and tasted them and decided that we liked each of them equally well. Having them both out on a cheeseboard at the same time meant that they got mixed up. It is only Monday and they are already separated from their names. We know that Cool Mary is made from sheep’s milk and Cool Paddy is made from goat’s milk. I cannot taste which is which.

19 November Tuesday

Each time I cut a rose to bring it into the house, I am certain that this rose is the last rose of the year. Each time I am pleased to feel that I am saving this final blossom from death by a sudden hard frost. A few days later, another rose comes into bud on a different rosebush. Each rose may be a late rose, but none of the roses are the last rose.

20 November Wednesday

Tommie is back at home. He is feeling better in himself, but his legs are not. He says that his knees are not keeping up with his spirits. He is not doing the exercises the physio gave him to do and he is not sleeping well. He does not feel Able for a trip to Dunnes. He would like to buy some boxes of chocolates and a few bottles to give as Christmas gifts, as well as some razors for The Shaving.  I said that we can make a list and that I will go to the shop to buy things for him. I dislike shopping at Dunnes and he loves shopping at Dunnes. I will do the shopping for him and he will feel sad that he has missed a favourite outing.

21 November Thursday

There was snow falling when we woke up. Everywhere was beautiful and white and silent. It was a heavy wet snow, so I knew it would not last. But for little while the white mountains and hills made it look like we had been transported to Switzerland. I drove down to the shop carefully. There is no such thing as snow tyres here and most people have no idea how to drive in icy conditions. As I crossed the little hump-backed bridge into the village, I remembered the signs in New Hampshire, always warning that a BRIDGE FREEZES FIRST. I have never seen such a sign here. I doubt that this fact is common knowledge. Things rarely drop to freezing.

22 November Friday

The candidates for Tipperary South in the General Election are everywhere. The candidates and their helpers are knocking on doors, and paper publicity arrives daily with the postman. The run-up to the election is only three weeks so everyone is busy getting their message out. There are posters up on trees and utility poles. Mattie McGrath seems to be the only one who owns a home-made tent-like trailer with his name and photograph on two sides. It is parked in various spots around the county. Just as we grow accustomed to seeing it in one place, it is gone. Its absence becomes a surprise. It will re-appear somewhere else for a few days, before being moved again. In these days building up to the election, I find myself rushing about saying, “Chicken Brennan. Chicken Brennan.”  This is the name of another candidate who is running for office.  His name is Michael “Chicken” Brennan. His posters on the utility poles make me smile. Michael Brennan is a common enough name, so if most people know this man as Chicken, it is wise to have that name on the poster so that people know which Michael Brennan is running for office.

23 November Saturday

Because the new kitchen door is so tight and well-fitted, we feel no drafts. It is a surprise how much warmer the room is. I no longer need the long curtain that used to hang up over the door at night specifically to keep the winds out.  I cannot bring myself to get rid of the small hooks that Simon cut out of oak a long time ago from which to hang the curtain rail.

24 November Sunday

Edel described the dog as Gentle Out.  She said that he is the easiest and most docile creature she has ever known and that he is a Pure Dote around the children. People often say that someone is Happy Out, but this is the first time I have heard Gentle Out. The meaning is easily understood.

25 November Monday

Heavy rains fell all weekend. We hardly noticed the rain because the winds were so fierce and so unending. We could hear the thrashing and blowing everywhere inside the house. There was no escaping the brutal noise. I was surprised to see that the fields all around the village have disappeared. The fields have disappeared and so have the sheep that were grazing in those fields.  Everywhere is replaced by lakes.

26 November Tuesday

Ute corrected me about the two German brothers who own the discount supermarkets Lidl and Aldi. It turns out that I was wrong.  We all believed that these two men are brothers.  The two men are indeed German, but they are not brothers. They are competitors, and both stores have special offers now known as The Middle Aisle. That is where the similarity ends.

27 November Wednesday

Ruth the Feral Farm Feline never seems to get any bigger. She is petite. Tidy. Every morning I find her outside the kitchen door playing soccer by herself with a wine cork. She is good with her feet. This is a delightful game to watch, but it is dangerous too. Each time I step outside there are wine corks in funny places on the path waiting to send me flying.

28 November Thursday

Clothing Banks are located near Bottle Banks, or all alone at the remote edges of car parks. They become stuffed full to overflowing with used clothing. When the small hole is so full that nothing more can be deposited, clothes must be left in bags on the ground. Whenever this happens, people come along after dark and rip open the bags to see if there is anything that they want inside. This activity is usually blamed on the Traveling Community but I do not believe that they are always the guilty party. It is rural tradition to blame any and all anti-social behavior on the Travellers.

29 November Friday Election Day

We voted down at the elementary school. The children had the day off school in order to accommodate the polling station. Campaign posters everywhere are looking bedraggled and some are torn.  The ongoing wind has not made this electioneering easy. I asked Tommie if he had received his card in the post to allow him to go and vote. He was outraged.  He said, “I do not need a card. I have never needed a card. The people down there know me. They all know me.”