It’s a funny world if you keep your eyes and ears open. Ok, you also need a certain approach to see the funny side of things.

How would you have reacted had you tried to back up into this garage only to find out that the last bit of your ladder on the roof of your car didn’t quite fit?

The driver of this car just went back as far as he could and left, to do whatever business he had to attend to.

Or if you had just walked around a beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere to find a bridge that you could only cross having gone up a couple of steps, in your wheelchair?

(We waited until a very friendly, and strong, young woman gave us a hand.)

Would a High Protein Low Sugar Smart PhD Bar have helped the people who came up with the idea of the steps at the end of the walk to improve their planning? – My guess: it takes more than a PhD Smart Bar:)

It’s a Bank Holiday in Ireland today – a long weekend, basically. We decided to spend Saturday night in wild, lovely Leitrim. Where we were reminded that there are places in the country that are widely mobile signal and Wifi free. Nearly untouched by our otherwise and somewhere else, hectic pressurised always-present and immediately responsive life. The sun was shining and the birds only stopped singing late in the evening. Buttercups filled the fields. The few people around had time to stop, chat, and help.

Pádraig had a brilliant week. Starting in An Saol. For the first time, he used the new standing frame there. And it worked a dream, with great people helping him to make the best out of his standing exercise.

The highlight of the exercise week, for me, however, was him taking over his leg stretching exercise.

It is truly phenomenal.

Think back a year when he could not sleep for months because his right hip and leg were causing him terrible problems.

It’s important to note that this progress didn’t happen by accident, but access to expertise and perseverence.

And it was not all work during the week.

For the first time in a long time we went back to wild, lovely Leitrim. We went for a nice walk and discovered lakes, bridges and a hidden Crannóg. A lone fisherman shared the secrets of his 12 hour day looking at the water, as well as a few pictures of the quite sizeable fish he had fished.

The bag of Tayto’s in a field of buttercups was the starter to a more substantial meal beside a warming chimney fire.

We had totally forgotten about the Peet’s Dark Roast French Coffee who a friend living in the US had brought along. Years ago. It’s surprising how long even ground coffee lasts. Though to be fair, it might have had lost some of its wood smoke, caramel flavour over the years.

Integration. Equality. Participation. Justice. Are for all of us.

Is that the life?

Absolutely.

Adventurous. Funny. Hard (at times). Joyful. Sad (at times). Hopeful. Angry (at times). Full of flavour (except for the Peet’s Coffee), sunshine (even in the west of Ireland:), friendship and love.