Originally intended for last week’s Inspiration Point (To keep or not to keep, or something), this piece missed the cut off point because heavy snow and power cuts kept me from completing it.
The second half of my description of my experiences of the first month of the year in which I last used leva banknotes to pay for my weekly shop. The one hundred words per day rule applies, as usual.
The first half of my description of my experiences of the first month of the year in which I first used euro banknotes to pay for my weekly shop. The one hundred words per day rule applies, as usual.
975 of my comments have received 1053 Great Feedback votes
2 Votes
Stories
Posted on Sun, 01 Feb 2026
Good on you for doing that Kat. It saddens me to think that so many wonderful stories of people I've known have been lost when they passed away, especially considering how different the times were that they lived through.
The lack of sex education is certainly a major contributing factor to the problem. As you say, it was good that the unmarried mothers at least had the likes of Nazareth House to go to, but that shouldn't have been necessary. Thankfully society...
The families, the authorities and the church pulled the raw emotions of these poor girls in all directions, and they were nearly always very young. With nobody to turn to it must have been absolute hell for them. There’s been a...
Such powerful words you have there Jane, and it’s a story the likes of which were repeated over and over again in Ireland. In the Catholic schools, young innocents (myself included) were told to love all those around them, but to teach them...
I knew about the float test which I’ve used before when planting other nuts and fruit stones but we didn’t have many beechnuts to go at from our Irish expedition so we planted the whole lot in compost...
You're exactly right Di. In terms of personal memories it's often better that a place has disappeared than to have stayed and become sadly unrecognisable. It's a bit like a rock star dying young; not so good for the rock star or the people who...
Stories
Posted on Sun, 01 Feb 2026
Good on you for doing that Kat. It saddens me to think that so many wonderful stories of people I've known have been lost when they passed away, especially considering how different the times were that they lived through.
If I was the boss...
Read full commentPosted in I’ve Got a Gal in Tiramisu
Philtrum fun
Posted on Sun, 01 Feb 2026
Righto IPFN. That's sound advice. I wonder if Elon Musk ever reads this. Have I written anything that requires editing?
I love it when body parts have ambiguous names that people are sometimes nervous about mentioning. It's so easy to get...
Read full commentPosted in I’ve Got a Gal in Tiramisu
Embarking
Posted on Thu, 29 Jan 2026
Hiya Jenny.
I really like this bit...
embarking
on season's journey into spring,
with swiftness, rapid as a feline's
natural shift.
It's what I'm...
Read full commentPosted in Rapid Shift Of Weather
Nuns
Posted on Sun, 18 Jan 2026
The lack of sex education is certainly a major contributing factor to the problem. As you say, it was good that the unmarried mothers at least had the likes of Nazareth House to go to, but that shouldn't have been necessary. Thankfully society...
Read full commentPosted in Letter to Ann Lovett (1968 - 1984)
Emotions
Posted on Sun, 18 Jan 2026
Thanks Kat.
The families, the authorities and the church pulled the raw emotions of these poor girls in all directions, and they were nearly always very young. With nobody to turn to it must have been absolute hell for them. There’s been a...
Read full commentPosted in Letter to Ann Lovett (1968 - 1984)
Out of Innocence
Posted on Sun, 18 Jan 2026
Such powerful words you have there Jane, and it’s a story the likes of which were repeated over and over again in Ireland. In the Catholic schools, young innocents (myself included) were told to love all those around them, but to teach them...
Read full commentPosted in Letter to Ann Lovett (1968 - 1984)
The ABC Beech Nut Germination Challenge 2026
Posted on Wed, 17 Dec 2025
Blessed are the chainsaw enthusiasts.
I knew about the float test which I’ve used before when planting other nuts and fruit stones but we didn’t have many beechnuts to go at from our Irish expedition so we planted the whole lot in compost...
Read full commentPosted in A Hare's Breath 5 - The Dark Hedges
Alfred N Muggins and Michael D Higgins
Posted on Tue, 25 Nov 2025
As Brian's mum, Mandy once said unto the crowd, 'Now, you listen here! He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!'
I can't get my head round all the supernatural stuff in the Bible but it's quite likely that there was a Jesus and he...
Read full commentPosted in The Quiet Revolutionary! By Alfred N.Muggins
Glasgow
Posted on Fri, 14 Nov 2025
You're exactly right Di. In terms of personal memories it's often better that a place has disappeared than to have stayed and become sadly unrecognisable. It's a bit like a rock star dying young; not so good for the rock star or the people who...
Read full commentPosted in Saturday Night's Alright for Peaches
Poor Danny!
Posted on Mon, 10 Nov 2025
Poor Danny!
And I don't think the hijacking really matters when the subject matter's interesting.
Read full commentPosted in Turlough Ó Carolan's Farewell to Turlough Ó Maoláin
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