The air that we breathe...

Sometimes it is the soul that needs feeding, and company of like minds is good fodder indeed. So today, even though my plan was to mope around the house, eating chocolate (St Patricks Day being an unofficial day off lent!) and watching the twee Oirish films on tv, an impromptu invite to see the parade in Wicklow, with the lovely Roches, was a welcome one.

I love Greystones. Both of us do... It suits the life we would like to be living and can't where we are, stuck on the side of a hill with construction everywhere we look and the type of neighbours that belong on american chat shows. Greystones is the place for us. We've been to see a house there, and the plan would be to move into something similar next year. It is such a lovely authentic place and there is nothing nicer than a walk around its perimeter followed by a cup of coffee outside the Happy Pear with dear C.

The parade was on today though so no walk, nor happy pear, but instead we sent the 'tweeners off by themselves while we plopped down on a grass verge to watch the smorgasbord of floats pass us by.

The 'tweeners

Watching the parade!

It was lovely to breathe in the strong sea air, watching the floats and chatting about anything and everything.

Then we walked up through the seaside town, to net our young folk, red cheeks from their first taste of independance and as C put it "an inch taller" from it.

There was a smell of chips in the air so we were all hungry by the time we got back to C's for tea and a spot of lunch.

Talk about hitting the spot! Tea, lots of bread and butter, and sausages! A few tempters for idle hands, olives, tortillas, nuts... and a gorgeous caesar salad! Just perfect! C always finds the nicest olives, the best bread - even tea tastes nicer in her house! The sausages were Quorn, something I haven't tried before, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised - very tasty considering they never spent any time on four legs, they were like mild hotdogs. Nice to know it is possible to be a veggie without having to forgoe the sausage sandwich which has to be one of the nicest things known to man, and the only sure hangover cure.

The older kids grabbed sausages in hunks of bread and headed out into the garden which is endless due to being parked on the edge of a nature reserve, while I enjoyed the delicious spread and good genuine conversation, intermittant with seeking out my adventurous toddler from his travels.

A lovely lovely day! Thanks to Ciara, Ru, Finn, Ed, and Billy!