Kerry Writers’ Museum in June 2024

Revival 2024

This will be a good one. The lineup looks special. Get buying those tickets.

Our Beautiful old Coins

These beautiful animals were once in everyone’s pockets. As we move ever closer to a cashless economy, let’s take a minute to see how beautiful these pre -decimal Irish coins were.

Another Find at the Library

You can borrow these “age friendly” tablets from the library for 10 weeks at a time. They are ideal for an old person who has to go into hospital or for respite or even in their own home.

Once you have a gmail account they are relatively easy to set up and they are programmed for local regions. They have a calendar and diary, links to the webpages of the local newspapers, links to local churches so you can “attend” mass if that’s your thing. You can take photos and chat to friends. I think they are a “try before you buy” option for someone who likes to stay in touch. On these Acorn age friendly tablets you can use Borrowbox, the free library online store of books , papers and magazines. When you hand it back, the library staff will wipe all your stuff off it before the next borrower.

What I’m Reading

I usually have a few books on the go at a time. This one won this year’s Writers’ Week Kerry Novel of the Year. It is very very good.

Piece of serendipity in the IWA charity shop this week…expect some great weird and wonderful facts from this source.

Squashed In

I just love the names of flowers and plants

Like the lovely Sauce Hollandaise daisies

Conjuring up images of summer salad days

Or that adorable Butternut Squash

With images of butter and nuts

Being squashed together

To make a tasty nourishing mash

I first became aware of this lovely vegetable

In the year of two thousand and ten.

I was just retired from teaching

And was embarking on a new way of living

Health matters were now a more pertinent issue

Weight loss and exercise became a focus for me

With aspirations to become a slimmer, fitter, healthier me

So, I betook myself off to a healthy heart course

With the emphasis on eating meat dishes demoted

                                            And using vegetarian dishes was promoted

For their beneficial effects for healthy living

We had carrots, lettuces, cous cous and coleslaw

There were melons, oranges apples and bananas

We tried shepherdess pies, Moroccan tagines

                                           There was tofu with ginger and broccoli spears

Then we were introduced to special soups and dishes

With butternut squash being the new one to me

We made butternut squash soup

We roasted it in the oven, skin and all

It tasted yummy and delicious 

Leaving my taste buds with a yearning for more

We made risottos and curries

I really liked eating them all

Because it was such nice nutritious food

Also, on our menu we had 

Quinoa with stir-fried greens

There was wheat grass and juices

Energy balls and sprouts

Diet plans and meal plans

I got used to living a more spartan lifestyle routine

Shedding kilos of weight and waistline inches

Reducing my cholesterol and blood pressure levels

 My energy levels increased appreciably

I just loved my expanded healthy menu choices

With my new friend, my delectable butternut squash

 heading the nutrient field for me

In my newly acquired style of healthy living routine

 Mick O Callaghan June 2024

A Fact

Octopuses have three hearts. (You know where I got this one.)

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