My Garden - December 2025

Dear Gentle Reader, 

December is the 12th and final month of the year, with 31 days, named from the Latin decem (ten) because it was the tenth month in the early Roman calendar before January and February were added. It marks winter's start in the Northern Hemisphere (with the Winter Solstice) and summer in the Southern, bringing holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, alongside winter traditions, festive lights, cozy pubs, and opportunities for both winter sports and warm-weather getaways. 

Key Facts

Length: 31 days.

Position: The last month of the year.

Name Origin: Latin decem, meaning "ten" (the original 10th month).

Season: Winter in Northern Hemisphere, Summer in Southern Hemisphere. 

Traditions & Activities

Holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve.

Northern Hemisphere: Winter Solstice (around Dec 21/22), Christmas markets, cozy pubs, winter hikes.

Southern Hemisphere: Summer activities, beach holidays.

In Ireland: Winter Lights festivals, traditional music in pubs, Handel's Messiah performances. 

Symbolism & Culture

Flower: Narcissus.

Birthstone: Turquoise.

Themes: Fresh starts, clarity, and a time for reflection as the year ends. , with 31 days, named from the Latin decem (ten) because it was the tenth month in the early Roman calendar before January and February were added. It marks winter's start in the Northern Hemisphere (with the Winter Solstice) and summer in the Southern, bringing holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, alongside winter traditions, festive lights, cozy pubs, and opportunities for both winter sports and warm-weather getaways. 

Key Facts

Length: 31 days.

Traditions & Activities

Holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve.

Symbolism & Culture

Flower: Narcissus.

One would think that once the frost set in ones garden the giving season is over. Far from it. The onion and garlic sets are sprouting nicely, the kale is still standing proud, and the sprouts are ready for Christmas. The greenhouses are full of life too. The kiwi is still alive, new grapes have been potted and once they establish, they'll be planted outside. This grape is coming from all the way home from my parents garden.

on the scale is the leftover sprouts, we harvested twice ass much. 

Winter is also the time of taking stock of seeds, ordering fresh and unique seeds, then planning for next year. I already have ordered some tomatoes, lettuce, melon, etc seeds. I can't wait for spring now 😁🍈🍅🍇🍎🍐🍒🥝🍆🥕🌽🥒🧄🫜

Today (New Year's Eve) we woke up to a frozen world. Everything was white and still, the frozen dew sparkling in the morning sun added to this stillness. Everything is dreaming, dormant waiting for spring to wake up and start the circle of life once more. We are just hours away from the new year and I would like extend my sincerest wishes to you for a healthy, happy, joyful and peaceful 2026. 

May your gardens flourish with harvests every month of the year. God bless you always.

Wishing you all the best, 

Anna

Dissapointment, is not the word....

Dear Gentle Reader

I don't even know how to start this blog post so I'll start it as thoughts pop up in my head. This blog post also can be considered as a wake-up call for all the honest, kind tatters out there. Now you can do what you like with this information, but if I was you, after reading this post, I'd be very careful whom do I befriend. One doesn't befriend someone and take advantage of all the kindness and support and then just stab the person in the back. You know who you are, shame on you!!! It's dissapointing, unprofessional, revolting, tasteless and fundamentally idiotic, I honestly can't find enough words to describe their actions. A true friend would never treat another friend like this. NEVER!!! As the song says "No more Mr Nice guy....".... Like it or not these things have to be voiced.... 

It came to my attention that recently some individuals were creeping into some circles causing trouble, not only that, but so much trouble and anguish, hurt that higher authorities had to be involved.  These people directly and willingly are set out to destroy what has been built up for generations in our tatting world, by their lies, threatory and threats. They'll become your friends and then they'll stab you in the back. Friends of friends associating themselves with these individuals don't realized that they are playing with fire and sitting on a time bomb, because once these individuals get in, they will destroy everything like wild fire. Warning them does nothing, they don't have ears to hear or eyes to see. These characters have no scrupules, nothing is sacred to them, notions like friendship, trust, loyalty, respect, gratitude are missing from their vocabulary and if they read this blog, maybe they should look these words up and write them down 1000 times or as many times as the meaning of these words will sink in. They will use everything and anything to destroy your credibility, good name, business and life. I'm very dissapointed, angry, frustrated to hear the length these individuals would go to destroy someone. For what? More profit? Control? Revange? Greed? If you don't do what I say I'll destroy you, kind of thing? God only knows what's in their sick and twisted minds. Nobody who gets between them and their goal is safe, they'll get you and they'll destroy, ruin you if you don't comply with their demands. 

But why bother you ask? I'll tell you why..... Because tatting belongs to everyone whom are willing to learn, not just certain privileged people.... EVERYONE .... And as long as I have breath in me I shall stay true to these beliefs and if there are enough of us out there, who believe that tatting is for everyone free of charge, these individuals will be defeated and surgically removed from trusted circles..... Everyone has to know that individuals like those are out there ready to get you, trust noone. If you must trust someone make sure, that person is a loyal to you, trustworthy and honest and would never betray you, no matter what. When hate, lies are spread, everyone loses, the enemy wins. Let's not let the enemy win!!! These people don't worth the dirt under my shoes!!! Two faced snakes they are, slithering in the grass ready to bite you and infect you with their venom.  What to do to protect yourself from these snakes? Stay united and true to your beliefs, support those who have something to say, whom built and continue to build on this truth, who want tatting to reach the next level free and unhinged. I will NEVER be afraid to stand by those whom voice the truth. If we all do this, those snakes will dissappear in the long grass, will remain nameless and time will grind them up. 

Ladies and gentlemen these are the facts and issues the tatting world and tatters are facing on daily bases....for how long are these dangerous characters will be let to hurt others that don't give in? When enough is enough? What will take for these individuals to be permanently shut down? 

I guess time will answer all these questions....but if the shoe fits, SHAME ON YOU.... 

My Garden - November 2025

November came with its raggedy look, coldness and wetness. Sharon winds blowing through the trees tugging on the stubborn leaves, plucking them, yanking them off the branches and twigs, twirling them around in a mad and dizzy dance, high high, up in the skies then settling them down on wet roads and mucky paths. This last month of the year is when a gardener starts thinking and planning for next year's garden. Taking seed stock and ordering more if needed.

Yesterday (20th-21st) the garden was covered in white frost, the day before that was the same. My kales looked like miniature Christmas trees, the grass like a white carpet. Today rain melted the frost and the temps got milder. I wish we could have some snow. 

The rest of the month didn't really show any improvement, so I'll just discreetly dissapointed I shall quietly say goodbye to this month. It's going to be a quiet, reserved time for my family, as they say time will heal and will make our loss less harder to bear. We'll always miss our lost loved ones, but they'll never be forgotten, they'll always live in our hearts and memories. 

All the best, 

Anna

The Way I Do It - Planting Garlic and Onion 2025

Dear Gentle Reader

It's October, so time to plant some garlic and onion sets. Information galore online and on YouTube, but this is what I do. Once the soil in my low raised bed is weeded, dug up and raked the cloves and the little onion sets are easy to plant. I also add some farm manure or chicken manure pellets because the garlic cloves are hungry plants and that will give them a bit of boost until they go dormant. No rocket science here. I plant my onion sets pretty close to each other, but not touching close, then pick every 2nd or 3rd in their spring onion state next year, leaving the rest to grow into big onions during the summer. 

Red onions - Electric

Yellow onions - Radar

I plant my garlic approx 10 cm from each other and 10 cm between each row, and approx 5 cm deep. Garlic needs frost so the clove can split and form next year's bulb. I only plant the bigger bulbs, the small ones I will use in the kitchen. 

Soft neck garlic - Germidour

It's called softneck because the stem coming from inside the bulb together with the husk that covers the bulb after drying will be plyable enough so it can be plaited together easily. 

Hard neck garlic - Morado

Hard neck ones, as the name suggests, stays hard, can't be manuvered so easily then the soft neck ones. 

Elephant garlic

Look at the size of this clove! It's huge, compared to the tiny Morado hard neck garlic next to it. 

I love Elephant Garlic because it has a milder flavour the the other 2 and it's unique to its size. The bulb will be huge too, you'd expect 20 cloves when there are only 4 or 5 of those big cloves. I'd be harvesting these next year when all the foliage turn straw yellow, but more about that then. 

Here is how I planted them. 

Between 2 rows of onion set there's a row of garlic. Between the red ones I planted the Elephant garlic, and the Hard neck Morado was planted between 2 rows of yellow onion sets. 

The onion sets will be mostly eaten by the time the garlic starts growing. They won't effect each other's growth. In the spaces between them I shall plant lettuce in the spring. The space between the cloves are approx 10 cm, this will give me a big enough bulb, but if you increase the space between the cloves, the bulbs will grow bigger. 

Then I pushed them with my hand into the soil as far as they went, being careful not to squash the cloves and lil onions. Brushed some soil on top of them and covering it with another layer of farm manure I bought from my local garden center. Then with chicken wire I covered  the hole place, that will keep the cats away. 

I didn't water them, because being in Ireland in Autumn one never is short of rain. The rain will wash all the goodness into the soil what will feed my onions and garlic, but once spring come they'll get a generous feed of chicken manure pallets to help them grow into a gorgeous crop. 

Well that's all for now. 

All the best. Enjoy your garden. 

Annamaria 

My Garden - October 2025

Dear Gentle Reader

October is the 2nd Brrrr month of the year, and came in with rain, and chilling days. Although the sunny spells between showers are always nice. October is the tenth month of the Gregorian year and has 31 days. It was originally the eighth month in the Roman calendar, derived from the Latin word octo for "eight," but became the tenth month after January and February were added to the calendar. In the Northern Hemisphere, October marks the arrival of fall, bringing in colorful foliage. It is also associated with holiday like Halloween. Boo👻🎃🦇🍬🍂🕸️🕷️😜😁

Just a taster of the scary stuff in the Range 😁👻💀☠️👻🦴

On my way to work I couldn't not stop and snap a few pics that made me think of Monet and Van Gogh paintings. It was like I'm stepping in a world of colors and hues, emotions and feelings. For an artist Autumn is a timeless subject. It's said that nature is the best artist, creating canvases of eternal beauty in nature. I'm an autumn child too, was born in autumn and I love wearing autumnal colours and looking at this palette of colors I could only smile. I always liked Autumn with all it's tantrums, bounty and beauty.

Wild clouds are gathering above my garden, storm yellow warning is issued. It's very windy, raining outside already, my poor trees are bending in the wind like reeds, but I'm sure they won't snap, I'm hoping they won't. It's mad weather outside. The garden and footpath is covered by a rich colorful carpet of leaves, randomly piled up at the street corners. Some alleys were covered by debris and fallen trees. I just hope and pray everyone will be safe and sound. Rain and wind continued the next day too but not as wild as yesterday. Even the sun occasionally peeked out announcing a calmer, warmish day.

"In the hush of October, the world holds its breath in color" - how true the person who said this was. Looking at the landscape as days go by, colors like a caleidoscope was over trees, bushes and hedges creating their own Autumnal Symphony. It's like every deciduous tree in the forest got on fire, figuratively speaking of course. 

Today (the 7th) is the day when the last bits of yummie I grow in the big greenhouse will be harvested. Tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers, aubergines and grapes gave me a late crop. Although I have lots of green tomatoes, that will ripen inside tucked away between newspaper prelonging the delights of summer.

Although I discovered tiny aubergines are still growing, I'll water them and feed them tomorrow and hopefully I'll have a few more before the frost kills them. I had 2 huge bunches of grapes sweet and juicy. Also tomorrow I'm planning to sew some winter lettuce, spinach, that will give me fresh leaves all through winter (more about it here). Weather permitting I also  need to clear the greenhouses, plant onion and garlic sets. Right now we were chased in by the rain that wasn't in the weather charts....oh well, tomorrow is another day :) 

Yesterday and the day before yesterday ( the 8th and the 9th) I was out planting my garlic and onion sets. Read all about it here. 

Look at that huge clove of garlic! That's the Elephant Garlic, I put a hardneck garlic clove next to it for comparison. I also got to harvest my only Honey Crisp apple which was huge, so brought it in, and shared with my family. Everyone got a 1/4 and some. I must say it was oh so juicy, with a bit of sharpness, but not like the Granny Smith Apple. It was lovely. I hope I'll get a decent crop before I get to push up the daisies 😜😂. The celery and green kale keeps giving still. 

Sunny, warm days slowly step out of the picture leaving place for the gloomy, damp, wet, cold autumnal days. Today outside is coldish, drizzly rain, however I guess even these days have some sort of a charm in them. I do love the light, the texture that of this dove feather peppered with raindrops. 

Yesterday I went shopping with hubs and I caught that dramatical landscape in Tesco's Carpark. If the buzzard could sing I'm sure it would sing "Somewhere over the rainbow...." 😜😁😂. However in my garden the red crabapple got even redder since the last time I saw them, it's colorful leaves randomly carpeting the lawn around the tree, as the cheeky wind keeps plucking on it's autumnal canopy "dress". It's raining today (30th), the raindrops tap dancing on the window creating their own music, while the wind is chiming in adding its own tune to the orchestra. It's cold and gloomy outside, I just hope the weather will turn a bit kinder for all the halloweeners gone trick or treating outside. 

Unfortunately the end of the month didn't have a happy ending. My family has lost an icon in my father-in-law, he was a good parent to my hubby and sister-in law, a great grandfather to his grankids, a gentleman among gentlemen, an excellent musician and an amazing carpenter. He will be very much missed, but never forgotten. Rest in peace, fly high dear man 😥

A new way of making lace - Cro-tatting :)

Dear Gentle Reader, 

I've been flirting with cro-tatting for a while now, until the day I ordered 2 tatting needles with hooked and I gave this lace making techniques a try.

Was a bit tricky at the beginning but then like a light bulb my hooked tatting needle behaved and we created the 1 motif that put a silly grin on my face. Cro-tatting might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I had fun creating this motif. 

Cro-tatting, or crochet tatting, is a lacemaking technique that combines tatting and crochet, using a tatting needle with a crochet hook on the end instead of traditional shuttles or large hooks. The process involves making stitches on the needle, similar to needle tatting, but using a tool that resembles a crochet hook. This technique creates more intricate, detailed lace that is more flexible than traditional tatting, and can be used with thread for delicate edgings or larger yarn for wearable items.

Tools and Materials 

Cro-tatting needle/hook: A specialized tool with a long, straight shank and a hook on the end.

Yarn or thread: Cotton-based threads are preferred as they don't stretch as much.

Technique

Making the stitch: The thread is manipulated around the fingers and slid through the stitches on the hook. 

Creating rings and chains: Rings and chains are formed, similar to other forms of tatting. 

Joining elements: The completed rings and chains can then be joined together to create larger, more complex designs. 

Key Characteristics

Flexibility: The technique offers a more flexible lace than shuttle tatting. 

Error correction: Unlike shuttle tatting, errors can be easily corrected by unfolding the work. 

Versatility: It can be adapted for various projects by using different sizes of hooks and threads or yarns.

This is what happens when doodles just fit into eachother

My 1st cro-tatted Daffy Doodle.... How cute is that!! 😁The middle is something that should have looked like something else I was working on, but it curled up, so in my frustration I just chucked it on my craft table and it landed right next to the round motif. Then it caught my eyes and after a few seconds I was grinning ear to ear because I just knew it was fate or providence or some other magic that brought these 2 elements together. Not only that it brought them together, but made them look cute too 😁😜😂

My Garden - September 2025

Dear Gentle Reader

September is one of those brrrrrrr months that with every day that passes draws closer to the end of the year. Kids go back to school, some go back to work from their extended holidays or start a new job or a new crafting challenge, who knows? New season, new start? However, whatever that is I hope this month goes well for you all. 😊🍁🍂

Slowly Autumn creeps into my garden too making the dog rose hips blush with it's cheeky antics. Fruit and nuts give their best, the last push of bounty from everything before frost stills growth and time.

As the weather slowly changes, days gets peppered with sunshowers and heavy downpours one is looking for some comfort food. Stewed apples, apple crumble and such are a good choice.

Today (21st) I thought I check on my pears to see if they are ready to pick. As I was walking in the biggish grass I saw a few on the ground and that's when I knew it was time. So armed with a bowl I went back out and picked 12 gorgeous, sweet smelling, juicy pears. The pear growing guide said after picking to out the fruit on a sunny windowsill so it can ripen further. So I did. But there was one that had a little mark that was surgically removed, cut into wedges and handed out to be taste proofed. Bobbing heads from hubs and father in law proved me that my pears are a success. Can't wait to enjoy their delightful juicy flesh in a few days. My one and lonely apple still hangs to dear life onto the branch blushing every time I go out checking if it's ready and it's stubborn clinging to the branch says "not yet". All right then, I shall try again. Honeycrisp apples are typically ready to harvest from mid to late September, extending into early October, but the best indicator is to taste one: it should be sweet, crisp, and juicy with a creamy or white flesh and brown seeds. Also, check that the apple's background color is a creamy or yellow hue and that it releases easily from the tree with a slight twist or tug.  Knowing this I move on to the Hazel nut tree checking if there's any nut left for me to harvest. Zero. All the nuts vanished, gone, evaporated, vamoosed. Birds? Rodents? Squirrels? Who knows? Oh well, bit disappointed, I shall live in hope that next year's harvest will be better. As you can see this day ended with a gorgeous sunset, however the weather hadd been totally disappointing, more showers then sunshine, tad bit chilly, but we are in the first brrrrrrr month, so I wouldn't have expected less.

On my way to work next day I noticed this sicamore tree in the car park that has been changing it's colors since August. The autumnal pallete always amazes me, each year at this time is the same, yet so different. I think the colors are more vibrant this year then the year before. The deep and then suttle pastels are just fabulous.

All the best, enjoy the season

Anna

Special projects 2025

Dear Gentle Reader 

A while back I started this special project for a friend.  She needed some napkin ring holders in autumnal colours.  After days of searching (mostly YouTube), digging on the Internet I found a few patterns that inspired me to make these. Although I've met a few technique challenges along the way, I had to learn how to tat around the cabon/curtain ring, then how to make picots on the carbon ring - this wasn't easy because, holding a picot gauge against the ring can be a challenge itself. I nearly borrowed a few fingers from hubs for this.😜But as you can see, I've managed to do it on my own 😜😂😁. Then I had to embellish them with beads and leaves to make them even more special. I used my own mix called Frosty Autumn. 

and these.... Don't they look like leaves on a branch or leaves dancing in the wind? If they do, mission accomplished, because THAT was the idea 😜😁🍁🍂The leaves are Muskaan patterns from her collection Let's flourish, E25-Leaf Doodle nr 2, link here. These small leaves were tatted using Lizbeth heard size 20, 40 and 80. And just like that another idea was born. 

These are and inspiration from another pattern I love. Wanda Salmans at wandasknottythoughts has the most amazing little button Ornaments for one's Christmas tree, link here. Ornament nr 1 inspired me to steal a little bit of Ireland in those decorations; the limpet ring and the seaglass are from the beaches near to my home, I hope they'll bring smiles to their faces and they'll enjoy those ornaments as much as I enjoyed making them.

All the best

Happy Tatting

Annamaria

Tatting goes........ 2025

17th of August - Tatting goes.....banding to Bray

I love Bray, it's one of the most busiest seaside in Ireland around Dublin, it's a gorgeous place to visit, food is amazing, ice-cream that only in Italy you'll find. Crown all that with an amazing performance of my local band. And yes I'm playing with them too, I play percussion (you know all those small bits that make beautiful noise.... Yep, that's me 😁😜🤦🤷) 

It's only 1h30 min away from home, but it's always the bands fav place to perform. 

Another awesome outing with the band, warm weather, delicious icecream, good performance 😜 I was working on a project for a friend, tatting autumnal leaves for napkin holders, (read all about it here). She wanted those napkin holders for her son's wedding that will take place in September. So my shuttles were smoking while creating those tiny leaves. The patterns was boring simple, but blink and Murphy will put a hold to the whole project. Sheeeesh. I wish Murphy would find another home 🤷🤦. Anyway skipping that obstacle I've actually manages to tat half of the leaf, that I started home, continued in the bus to the venue and back between a snooze, I was tired 🤦

24th of August - Tatting goes....for a ride 😜

Today we decided to go for a drive around. It was a nice spin after I and hubby and father-in-law went for lunch. Lunch was fabulous, I had fried brie on a bed of salad with cranberry sauce vinegrette and a small bowl of chips.... Yummm.... So yummm that I have forgotten to take pics. 😜😁😂 Hubs had kajun chicken wrap and father-in-law had bacon, veg and mash. Anyways....after driving around and admiring the landscape and enjoying the awesome weather we were having, we finally stopped for an ice cream.... One can't beat a 99 in a cup....yum yum...

Don't worry I cleaned my hands after the ice cream (Snowflake Lynn by Jennifer Williams). Tatting snowflakes in 22 degrees it somewhat makes you think and feel cooler. Does it? Kinda... Sorta.... Maybe a teeniny bit....however moving along, when the snowflake will decorate your Xmas tree, you'll think back to the hot, sweaty days of August. 

Devouring the mouth watering delight we returned home, looking forward to the next outing. 

On the way home we saw this field peppered with straw bales and the photographer in me just had to stop and play 😁😂😜

14th of September - Tatting goes to Kingscourt Band Festival

Kingscourt Band Festival.

St Mary's Brass & Reed Band, Kingscourt, will host 11 Bands and provide an afternoon of delightful musical entertainment, all culminating with the 11 Bands joining forces in a Massed Band Parade at 5.30pm

(pattern here, Eileen Stafford's Blue Doily) 

Once we played our lost energy was quickly restored by a cup of coffee, some snacks and ice cream, purrrrrfect ending of a purrrrrfect day. Among the bands there were old rivals we would bump into at competitions, but today was all about entertainment. 😜😁 Fabulous times and musical memories. 

11th of October - Tatting goes North 

This year like other years same date same place the band and this tatter/musician goes to Armagh for the championship. 

The 2025 Northern Ireland (NIBA) Band Championships will be held on October 11 (Flutes, Accordions, and Concert Bands) and October 18 (All Brass sections) at the Market Place Theatre in Armagh. 

1st pic on the buss, full of expectations; 2nd at the venue, 3rd pic is back stage, all set up and ready to play. Judging from the adjudication the person in charge, kind lady was nicely surprised by our performance, she liked what I played and prized many players and sections. Overall good performance that got us the cup for the 4th time. Best band over all Ireland and the  Northern Ireland. We'll done everyone involved 😊👍You must have seen my little motif a few times through my posts, I've chosen this for travelling purposes because it's an easy piece, doesn't need much concentration and it's repetitive. (Blue Doily by Eileen Stafford). I always choose something easy when I travel either by car, bus, train or plane, thank goodness there's plenty patterns to chose from. Eventually I get to finish it 😂😁😜

27th of October - Tatting goes to.... Carligford :) 

(pattern Beth Zipay TatChat Shuttle, pattern here ) 
On the way to Carligford we stopped for some grub. I had salmon with veg and toasties and a healthy dash of white sauce. It was delicious, the salmon just melted in my mouth. Hubs had Mongolian beef and FIL had roast loin of pork with veg and all the trimmings. We washed it down with a very nice cappuccino. 

You can read here all about Carlingford. 

14 November 2025 ..... Tatting goes to .... Galway :) 

With very little planning we decided to get away for the weekend, a change of scenery does wonders to a challenged mind. Galway will always have a special place in my heart, not because we had our honeymoon there, because when I saw it for the 1st time, I fell in love with the place and the area, Connemara, the Burren, the Wild Atlantic Way etc. 

Read here all about Galway. It was raining when we started our journey this morning, but as we got closer to our destination, the rain stopped, but the wind kept blowing, and no matter how warmly you were dressed, the wind would find a way to get under ones coat. However the chill was fast cured with a nice cup of hot cocoa and a bun, it helped with the "thawing" of frozen knuckles. Bring in the heart of Gaeltachta (Irish Speaking Area) I did my best to use the cúpla focail (few words) I've learnt so far. My efforts were met with with ear to ear smiles from the ladies in the café, which made me giggle with pride. 

Our 1st stop was at the Coral Beach, read here about it. We always stop there when we go to Galway. Today the remnants of the Spanish storm made the wind extremely cold, but that didn't stop me from exploring the beach and gather a few bits of coral and shells. Shortly we will go into the town centre to explore the Christmas Market and have a bite to eat. 

I must say the food in the Market was amazing, the hot dogs we had absolutely scrumptious and went down sweetly. We also bought a chimney cake, but it was devoured before I could grab my cam 😜😂

Today inspire of same weather conditions we decided to go to the famous Kylmore Abbey in the heart of Connemara. You can read more about this place here. We walked around the Victorian Gardens, it's a huge place and I can only imagine what breathtaking can be during summer and spring in full color and splendour. Chilling wind and drizzly rain didn't discourage us, so we soldered on and explored every nook and corner of the garden. A cheeky little Robin was following us through our walk keeping an eye on us. 

The wooden sculptures are made by an artist that decided to turn storm victims into art. Amazingly well executed. 

on the way back to the hotel we were met by a light traffic jam, a mountain side that was peppered with sheep (can you count how many? 😂🐑⛰️😜) and a gorgeous sunset on the Atlantic that I was managed to catch at the roadside. 

Once back in the hotel I was relaxing with my tatting (Mike Lyon: Adagio on Strings) and watching TV until was time again to leave for dinner. 

We had the most amazing dinner ever, everything was cooked to perfection, portions were big enough. By the time we've finished, we were full to the gills, but we still had room for few drinks back at the hotel. I had the famous Connemara XO cocktail (yummm, I wanted to tell the waiter keep them coming,)  while hubs had beer. (Link to the restaurant here.) 

Next day (Sunday) the sun decided to show up and warm us a bit (annoying isn't it, how on the last day of your holiday the weather improved! Typical🙄), so we went to see the Aquarium and then toddle back home (link here). This is not my 1st time here, but whenever we are in the area we never skip visiting it. A lot of interesting facts and info about marine life local and international. Worth visiting :) 

It was a good weekend, a needed get away, we enjoyed it as much as we could, under the circumstances, I did leave a few tatted bits here and there, hoping whoever finds it will bring a smile on his/her face 😂😁😜

6th of December 2025..... Tatting goes to.... The Christmas Concert

(pattern Jan Tavasz) 

This is a major venue for my local band, everyone looking forward to it. This is the event where weeks and weeks of practising Xmas music and other tunes come together, pulling all the community of this little town together under the same roof for a bit of Xmas cheer. Young and all members performing on the stage brilliantly, parents beaming with pride and anthusiasm. Memories are shared, Santa giving out presents for the younglings....

When I was small I was looking forward to Xmas as a child to get presents, my parents couldn't afford much, but Santa always managed to leave something under the tree for me. As I grew up my views about Xmas have changed and I understood what Xmas was all about....Christmas was never about gifts, it was alway about family, big and small around the table, breaking bread, sharing memories, missing loved ones, being together, going to mass. All the things a family does together on this day.... 

As Tiny Tim would say: "God bless us every one" 

All the best

Anna

Rathescar Lake outing with my local photoclub 2025

Nestled in the picturesque surroundings of Co. Louth, Rathescar Lakeside Walk is a stunning nature preserve that beckons tourists with its serene landscapes and tranquil atmosphere. This scenic area features well-maintained walking paths that wind around the sparkling lakes, making it an ideal spot for leisurely strolls, invigorating jogs, or a peaceful afternoon picnic. The gentle sounds of nature, coupled with the vibrant flora and fauna, create a captivating backdrop for visitors looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. Each season offers a different charm, from vibrant wildflowers in spring to the rich hues of autumn leaves, ensuring that no visit is ever quite the same. The area is also a haven for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts, with various species residing in the habitat. As you walk, be sure to keep an eye out for the local wildlife that thrives in this natural setting. Families will appreciate the safe and welcoming environment, making it a great outing for children to explore and enjoy the outdoors. With no entry fee, Rathescar Lakeside Walk provides an affordable and enriching experience, allowing visitors to connect with nature without breaking the bank. Whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation, or a perfect spot for photography, Rathescar Lakeside Walk is a must-visit destination that showcases the natural beauty of Ireland. (according to evendo.com)

Every single word is true of what was said. The place is a real sanctuary for wildlife, occasionally surprising everyone with something. You'll find swans, ducks, moorhens, bugs and butterflies and plants for every season. It's the closest walk to my home so we often go out there for a walk.

The group also got 3 photo challenges and these are mine... Photo of a Swan or Duck, macro, and part of the lake....

Silent Valley Reservoir, an outing with my local photoclub 2025

Today we visited a place called the Silent Valley in the Northern Ireland. The Silent Valley Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down in Northern Ireland. It supplies most of the water for County Down, surrounding counties and most of Belfast. It is owned and maintained by Northern Ireland Water Limited (formerly DRD Water Service).

The road to there was smooth, sharp turns and loads of serpentine revealing breath taking landscapes. We were blessed with a gorgeous weather and the breeze was a bonus. When we arrived there was a race for the  Athletic Club's, but that didn't put a damper on our outing because we managed to stay out of their way. (Silent Valley wasn't silent anymore, well for a bit anyway). Full of ideas of where to go, what to shoot, camera settings, the group broke up in smaller groups (lads and lassies) and off we went to find subjects to shoot. Plenty to choose from. Banter and funny remarks are always a bonus, making our adventure more pleasurable. Cams were clicking, drones was flying, pics were taken as we were walking around the this huge Dam surrounded by mountains tainted by the blooming Heather, giving the whole place a magical hue of magenta. By the time we walked our feet off, on our way back finally after all of us were almost dead by hunger we've managed to find a picnic table and wolf down our sammiches that brought us back to life and gave us enough energy to take a few more pics and drive home. From the tens and thousands of pictures I took these are just a few. 

This is the reservoir in its all majesty, comfortably nestled between the mountains. 

And these are my attempts to show some of the unique features of the place and surroundings. 

And here someone must have been thinking that I'm getting ready to take a dip in the lake to cool down, which I wasn't. I was merely trying to shoot a Common Scarlet Dragonfly, before I was rudely interrupted "Hurry up, I'm hungry" sheeeeeesh 😂😂😂😂😂😜😁 some just don't understand, when one is in the creative zone, one should not be disturbed 😂🤣😂🤣😂. 

Of course these are only friendly banters, no bad intention in what has been said. Craic was good as usual. 😜😂 Box of frogs 🐸😂😁😜