Sunday, February 16, 2014

A report on the Valentine´s Wellie Boot Race in Switzerland, the Heart of Europe.

A Race with a View: Canadian wellie racer Dave Willhms took the great shot below.

...So now you can see the amazing view of the Säntis Mountain in the Alps we enjoyed as we raced around in our wellies on a dairy farm in Moos, St. Gallan.
(If you don´t know what I am talking about, go back to the blog posting in late Janary, where you can read all about the prepations for the Valentine Wellie Race in the heart of Europe.)

Olympic medals are all very fine. But, if you really want to get the best out of wellie race participants – just hang out the big bag of Taytos. – That will be sure to get them running at top speeds.

And they´re off!

Enough with The 6 Nations Championship - We had 7 nations represented out at the wellie race starting line, some of whom are shown here. They represent: Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan Switzerland.

A young Clare representative below proudly carries the flag on her buggy. She is flanked by 3 yr old Italien Roberto who runs bravely into the wind to over take the flag carrying buggy baby.

Now your one in the nice red jacket above looks all fine and innocent and what not, but I don´t know; security was so busy looking after the Taytos, that no one noticed when she was no sooner past the finishing line, that she disappeared – and so did the whole box of Barrys Tea!

Swiss dairy farmer Guido can put on a Kilkenny Team shirt, but it won´t make a cat out of him.

Clare born wife Ann with the Swiss flag behind him appears to agree.

An exciting moment....
Lining up for the prize giving.

Andrew from Canada was the first home, not bad for a 12 year old competing against men in their wellies.

Sister Naomi, 9, on the right, also won a bag of Taytos. Participants came from places as diverse as: Canada, Ireland, Italy, China and Switzerland, but all had fun in their wellies munching on their bag a´Taytos.

Triumph!

Clearly the weeks of practice running up and down the Alps in her wellies paid off, as a glowing Mary proudly holds up her bag of Taytos.

Happily sister Martina earned a bag of Taytos too after coming in second.

The first time…

Roberto´s endurance paid off! He got his Taytos.

See here where he savors the anticipation of opening his very first bag of Tatyos ever.

It´s amazing what you can get away with when you look this cute and innocent; no one checked under my blanket… and I have no wellies on. Tee hee hee!

First Class Service.

We are the only wellie race in the whole world where there is first class after care service:

All wellies are cleaned and polished and ready for the Disco next Saturday night!

Alice and several of her sisters and cousins came out of their barn to have a look at us running.

Guido, Swiss dairy farmer and Kilkenny man wanna be, had to give them an extra feed; looking at all that activity on a cold winters day in the Alps makes a cow hungry!

Thanks to Guido´s wife Ann we humans got very well fed too!

Now to those that don´t know better, the following pictures may look like there are a lot of people who don´t know whether they are coming or going, and they keep running circles around each other not getting there either. But, of course we in Ireland know that to be...

...the Siege of Ennis!

Yes, it being a Valentine´s Wellie Race, what better to celebrate the day of romance, than dancing the Siege. In wellies of course!

And I am sure you will agree it is not a bad turn at all - especially when you consider only two people dancing here had ever danced the Siege of Ennis before.

The dancing ended with a ´Dance around the Broom` from mother daughter duo Ann and Mary. A dance better known in West Clare than in Moos - until now that is.

The afternoon ended with a presentation to Guido and Ann Kretz for their warm welcome to us.

Not to mention the great hearty meal fit for a hoard of Alpine Wellie Racers.

And a diverse lot of wellie racers we were too coming from as far a field as Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Kilkenny and all the way from Clare there was Helen and Kevin and their three under 3 God bless them!

A great day was had by humans - and cows alike!

So, as we all headed off home to nurse our blisters and have a nap, Guido and Ann did what all good dairy farmers do at 5:00 p.m.

They went off to milk the cows!

P.S. Dave from Canada was on hand with his camera. You can link to his photos and videos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/116376007226199828239/WellieRacing?authkey=Gv1sRgCIWTgP-E0_jVRg

Sunday, February 9, 2014

If this does n´t give you a laugh - you have a coffee on me!

For any one who experiences `after New Year´s blue´s` these witty words are a certain pick me up. A cuppa on me if you don´t get a laugh with this one.....

My thanks to Dana who sent me the following.

Church Ladies With Typewriters They're Back! Those wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for the
church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced at church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
--------------------------
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.
Proceeds will be used to cripple children. --------------------------
The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water. ‘The sermon tonight:
‘Searching for Jesus.' --------------------------

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those
things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands. --------------------------

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help. --------------------------

Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious
pleasure to the congregation.
--------------------------

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery
downstairs.
--------------------------

Next Thursday there will be try-outs for the choir. They need all the
help they can get.
--------------------------

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church.
So ends a friendship that began in their school days. --------------------------

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall.
Music will follow..
--------------------------

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?'
Come early and listen to our choir practice.--------------------------

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several
new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
--------------------------

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person
you want remembered..
--------------------------

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment
and gracious hostility. --------------------------

Pot-luck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
--------------------------

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind.
They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon. --------------------------

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across
from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. --------------------------

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would
lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
--------------------------

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM .
Please use the back door. --------------------------

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church
basement Friday at 7 PM .. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
--------------------------

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.
Please use large double door at the side entrance. --------------------------

And this one just about sums them all up:
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday:
'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'

Friday, January 24, 2014

Update on Preparations for the Valentine´s Wellie Race in the Heart of Europe

See below a letter to the Wellie Race aficionados in Casltecomer Co. Kilkenny, giving them an update on the preparations for the Valentine´s Wellie Race to be run next month in St. Gallen, Switzerland - the heart of Europe!

------------------------------------------

Dear Chubby,

Here I am with an update on preparations for the Valentine Wellie Race which will take place on the Kretz farm in Moos, St. Gallen. (Yes, Guido Kretz is a real live dairy farmer in Moos, St. Gallen Switzerland.)

But first I offer you and all the Castlecomer wellie race organizers hearty congratulations. You really put the boot in, and it worked; I hear you had a great day with more than 10,000 visitors, and that €000´s were collected for charity. And, as usual the Major Regrets did much to be regretted. I understand too there were a few horses dressed in beef´s clothing.

But now to news of the Valentine Wellie Race due to be run at the heart of Europe on February 9^th. To remind you; when I could find nowhere to run a wellie race in Germany, and no one to race with either, did n´t Guido Kretz and his Clare born wife Ann Broogy come to the rescue of me and my wellies. Guido and Ann very kindly offered that we could have a wellie race on their farm, if they and their two daughters all got a bag of Taytos even if they don´t win the race. After some consideration, I thought that was a fair enough deal.

So, preparations are afoot. True, we cannot hope to compete with the Castlecomer Wellie Race on the numbers. But, we can surely give you a run for your money with variety! We have a contingent from Canada who will participate, that shower are taking things very serious indeed, they are all coming with TWO pairs of wellies - each. I am really worried that they plan to scoop up all the prizes leaving no Taytos for anyone else. (Note to self: hide a few bags of Tayto Crisps for self before the Canadians arrive.)

And then we have the Schillings from Budapest, aka Ms. Moneypenny Sr. and Ms. Moneypenny Jr. They are trying to give the ol´? ´we have no wellies, why can´t we just run in our high powered fuel injected runners instead? ` line. But we sorted them alright; we found wellies for them - three sizes too big!

We had a group too with connections to Donegal, and the Island of Reichenau in Lake Konstanz, where Irish monks were ´doing their thing´ for over 400 years. So you would think that mix would certainly sound promising in relation to wellie racing. But alas it looks as if they have no lead in their wellies; they said they were so sorry, that they could not come for the Wellie Race planned earlier. But, when I contacted them to tell them the Wellie Race was up and running once more for Valentine´s, they just disappeared, not to be found anywhere. Sissys!

But we have better luck with a (sort of) big contingent coming in from Clare. Their coming was all a bit up in the air at first, or more precisely not getting into the air might be more to the point. They were supposed to catch a flight here a few weeks ago, but they got a flat on the way to the airport. Someone was kind enough to give them a pump, but it did not help. The whole family, their luggage, AND their wellies was just too much for the bike. As you know from my last report, because the weather was too cold, the Swiss Dept. of Health and Safety in the Work Place put paid to the race we planned earlier, and fortunately the Clare crew have the chance to come again for the Valentine´s Wellie Race.

But I must say, it is all very vague and mysterious there; all we know is that an Aeroflot plane travelling from Cuba to Moscow will do a quick landing and pick them up behind the local G.A.A. pitch. – They just have to bring a package to Switzerland for someone called Mr. or Mrs. Credit Suisse or some odd funny sounding foreign name like that, more than that I don´t know. But sur´ I don´t care as long as the Clare contingent don´t forget their wellies – and the music for the Siege of Ennis.

Yes, in deference to us having a Valentine´s wellie race, we plan to do a turn of `the Siege…` in our wellies of course, just as the sun goes down behind the Alps on the Valentine´s Wellie Race. - Who says you can´t be romantic and wear wellies too!

That´s it for now Chubby,

I hope you all have fun at the Last Supper.

R. C.

P.S. A technical questions for the Steering and Regulatory Committee of World Wide Wellieracing, aka WWW, head quartered at Powley Vale:

The above mentioned Guido, proud owner of a herd of very happy cows whose milk goes into making the world famous Appenzeller Cheese – which makes them a very exculsive bunch of cows let me tell you!

Anyways, Guido wants to know: if he can manage to get pair or wellies on one or two of the cows could they run the wellie race too? He figures what with the world wide attention the race will attract, it could be a great plug for Appenzeller Cheese. Are there any rules about cows running in the race to promote a product for profit?

(Between yourself and myself I suggested to him he send a nice thick brown paper bag to you in Powley Vale, and then they ´re would be no problem at all with cows or anything else running. But sur´God help us, he had´t a clue; he wondered what you would want with a big brown paper bag, and as he did n´t have paper bags, he wanted to know if he could send you a few plastic bags instead!)

---------------------------------------

Two questions from blog readers:

1) Where and I find out more info. on the Castlecomer Wellie Race? See link:

http://www.wellierace.com/

2) What are Taytos?

The best chips in the whole world. Made in Ireland and a great story to boot. See link https://www.taytocrisps.ie/

Monday, January 6, 2014

Are your new year´s resolutions beginning to teeter off the wagon a bit? - Try working backwards!

If your new year´s resolutions are doing wonderfully and you are still fully on track with all you resolved to do one whole week into the new year. Great. Good work and read no further.

If you are teetering off the wagon however, consider working backwards. That is to say, don´t worry too much about your resolutions for this new year, rather think backwards, looking back on the big picture of your life as lived. Are you living your best life?

Oprah, Dr. Phil and myself are big into encouraging people to ´live their best lives´as Oprah so succinctly puts it - grant it Oprah and Dr. Phil have a tad more success at reaching the masses than I.

But, I will not be swayed from my task; Hausfrau Róisín is here at the start of 2014 to advise Irish Stew for the Soul blog readers how to get back on that wagon - to go out there and live the life they want to live.

Yes, I KNOW there are all sorts of reasons one can give for staying in a life situation you don´t like. If none of them are around ´putting food on the table for my children´, then the reasons are NOT good enough for not going out there and living the life you want to live. Even ´putting food on the table for the kids´ is not a deal breaker.
To find out the best way to live the life you want. AND to find what it is you want to do in said life in the first place you can:

a) Watch a lot of re-runs of the Oprah Show or Dr. Phil´s shows

- not a bad option, but could be time consuming.

b) Spend a fortune on self help books and tapes,

- not a great option, time consuming and expensive.

c) Become an expert in the major world religions and see what they have to say about living life.

- while a noble option, not ideal seeing as it would take more than one life time to really learn what the major religions of the world have to say on the subject. (Hindus have the advantage on the rest of us here what with reincarnation and all.)

The best way, to discover how to live the life you want, according to moi is: simply…

d) Go back to Bed! - Definitely the best option.

No, I am not telling you to go to bed to mope and feast on Smarties and drown one´s sorrow´s in Barry´s tea. (Full disclosure: One admit´s to having been known to resorting to this practice occasionally through out life - but NEVER for more than 3 days. Honest!)

Nor am I saying to go back to bed for a little private or shared hankie pankie. - Nothing wrong with either I hasten to add, but another time please.

No, simply lie in bed and imagine ....... you are about to die.

Ah ah caught you there did n´t I!

Once you have gotten over the discomfort of the idea that you are about to die, just lie there imagining you are on your death bed and let your thoughts flow and see what observations come up.

Review the life you have lived. What are you proud of in your life? What would you change? What are your regrets? What other questions and considerations pop up?

And most importantly, for most of you reading this, (even moi admits reading this blog is not the most vital thing to be doing on death´s door); most, if not all of you dear readers are not going to die today. You have another chance …
SO GET UP OUT OF THAT BED AND START MAKING THE CHANGES - NOW.
Right now. Get up and start to put yourself on track for living the life you want to live, with no (further) regrets to be regretted when you really are going to die.

I know a lot of people are going to feel weird or creepy when pondering their own death. Well work on that too. It will come you know!

It may take a couple of attempts to get your head around contemplating the whole ´dead´thing. But if you really want to have a different way of living your life, it is worth the effort to ponder your death.
This is real folks. As far as we know we only live once, again the Hindus have an advantage. But the rest of us really should not be waiting around to make those changes.

To support my case further I am copying a piece here from a book by Bronnie Ware The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.* The English Guardian newspaper wrote an article based on the main theme of the book. - See the article and link at end of this blog posting.

So. Back to my first idea about your new year´s resolutions..

If you are having trouble sticking to your new year´s resolution, ask yourself:

`On my death bed would this new year´s resolution be at all relevant?´

If not, why the heck are you bothering?

If the resolution would be relevant on your death bed, then why can´t you stick to it? You, gentle reader, have the rest of your life to answer.

Well after all that I think I need a good strong cup of Barrys tea - and whatever you´re having yourself!
------------------------------------------

*Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last weeks of their lives ... she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

Ms. Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."

Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it."

2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."

This piece was originally printed in the Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying