Sitting in a cold living room in cold Ireland, realising why the autumn starts in August in Ireland – when this is still very much considered summer in Germany. It’s lonely here but it doesn’t feel real. Where is this space that triggers off memories yet is so unfamiliar? I notice that i am telling people that i am back in Germany, when I am back home, in Ireland. It always surprises me to which extend this moving between worlds, time, spaces, memories, and expectations confuses my mind.

The one thing that is warm and that is real is our kitchen stove/oven:

 

And there is the rare fridge magnet bringing back memories of Oscar Wilde Quotes and An Saol, the original.

Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting a house run by ABI Ireland in Tullamore. It’ll be interesting to see what one of the several organisations actively working with ABI clients has achieved. The idea is to learn from the lessons and the experience of other organisations working in this field, and to see whether at least aspects of what they do could be applied to the development of An Saol.

Pádraig is still recovering from what seems to be a bit of a cold. It is, of course, not good to see him struggling with it but the fact that he manages himself to deal with it without an outside intervention is really really good. It’s just another sign of him getting stronger and more in control of his body and well-being. Over the past few days, we decided to try and identify a few key things that we want to address together with the carers, the therapists, and his doctor. Just a handful of things that we feel need to be addressed and, if we all work together on this, can be addressed.

I can’t say I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep. To be honest, if I could I would prefer not to sleep at all. “I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall. Sleep is like a temporary death. Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind. Bring me my boots and shoes”, Bob Dylan sings in the Workingman’s Blues – and tonight I feel he’s probably right…

PS1: Hospi-tales climbed up to #4 of Blog Awards