Blogtrotter

Ag gabháil buíochas.

Bhí mé ag ceiliúradh Lá Altaithe leis mo theaglach agus chairde le deanaí anseo. Feicfeadh tú ar an griangraf os cionn go raibh duine fásta amháin ar ár bhord! Níl tú ábalta feiceáil Bob, mar sin féin! Tá sé féin taobh thiar díomsa. Bhí sé céim dochtúra a fháil ar feadh samhraidh seo caite.

Tá mé in aice liomsa ag imeall ár chlár. Dúirt Léna go raibh ceaptha leis an íomhá seo 'eisint agamsa'! Ansin, Bob agus Risteard. Tá sé ag obair ina tíonscail na scannánaíochta leis Léna. In aice leis, tá sé Neans agus a céile Dónal. Is beirt ceolteóra siadsan. Tá mo bhean chéile Léna ar chúl eile ansuid. Bhí sí ag cócaireacht bia níos blasta orainn uile.

Shúigh síos Chríostín i ngar a fear chéile Ciardha. Is seandalaí é. Chaith sí go minic ar a leathanta saoire níos i gcongarach cá bhfuil i gconaí Bob agus Críos anois! Shiúlfaí idir dha teach ina cuig noimead go furasta.

Is Ciarraigh ag seinm giotár a dhéanamh mar cheird. Tá Dónal ag seinm gléasannaí cheoil go leor freisin. Is maith Chríos ag seinm giotár freisin. Ach, níl Chríos seinnteoir is gáirm dó. Tá sé féin ag coinneail uisce úr ina sléibhte Naomh Crois. Is lánúin phósta is nua anseo, Chríos agus Bob. Phósadh siadsan an fiche is trí lá Dheireadh Fómhair seo caite.

Cé bhfuil ag an dara chlár? Bheul, d'ith páistí ann. Bhí siad Leon, mo mhac. Tá sé is sine de bheirt. Thóg Niall an griangraf seo. Ár ndóigh, is Niall an dara mac againn. Tá inion Linda agus mac Criostín (an triú ceann anois?) de Nheans agus Dhónal. Chuaigh Jairo fós. Is sé mac hÁine, ach ní raibh sí ag tagtha ann.

Bhí féile chéad seo go leor go raibh ag déanta ár chistín nua. Bhí iontach Lhéna mar úsaid a gréithe cócaireachtaí agus an oigheann agus dhá inneal a ní i bplataí. Phioc si na dathannaí gorm agus glas agus oraiste ar na seomraí anseo fosta.

Cheannaigh sí teilifís níos mo. Cén fáth? Iarraidh sí agus mo mhac a breathnaigh cláir nuair go cruinnithe ar an urlar ar lár ar ár bhaile.

Féadaim a rá go mbeadh ag fanacht anois agus ansin, ach fásaim go míshhaimhneach go taipidh. Is dith orm a fágáil ar mo leabharleann beag. Toghaim áit níos suaimhneasach go géarr.

P.S. Scríobh mé alt is mo seo go luath, ach ní raibh foclóir agam ar dtus. Bhí sos an uair roimh sin go muineadh. Chaith mé ar fad faoi ag obair as Gaelige ar mo h-inchinn amháin. Ní raibh fhios agam frasai agus bri go hairithe. Rinne mé nótaí as Béarla nuair níl fhios agam leagan Gaeilge ar mo h-intinn. Mheas mé go ard, agus bhí ag cleachtadh a cabhair agam.

Giving Thanks.

I celebrated the day of Thanksgiving with my family and friends recently. You can see in the photograph above that there were only adults at our table! You are not able to see Bob, however! He is behind me on the far side. He got his doctoral degree during the past summer.

I am nearest at the edge of the table. Layne said that this image captured "my essence"! Then, Bob and Richard. He works with Layne in the film industry. Next, there's Nancy and her spouse, Dan. They are a pair of musicians themselves. There is my wife, Layne, at the other end over there. She cooked a very tasty meal for us all.

Kristen sits down next to her husband, Carey. She's an archeologist. She spent her holidays often very near where Bob and Chris are now living! One may walk between the two houses in five minutes easily.

Carey plays the guitar, making his living. Dan plays many musical instruments also. Chris likes to play the guitar too. But, Chris is not a musician by his trade. He himself keeps the water fresh in the mountains of Santa Cruz (that same word again [~cross!]).

Who's at the second table? Well, children ate there. They are Leo, my son. He's the elder of the two. Niall took this picture. Of course, he's the younger son of ours. Linda's the daughter and little Chris the son (the third one now?) of Nancy and Dan. Jairo came too. He's the son of Ana, but she could not come there.

This was the first grand feast that was made in the new kitchen. Layne marvelled at using her cookware and oven and two machines for washing dishes ("dishwasher" is not in my Irish dictionary). She picked the blue and green and orange colors in the rooms here as well.

She bought a larger television. Why? She and the sons wanted to view programs when they gathered on the central floor of our house.

I might say that I stay now and then, but I grow restless quickly. There's a need for me to leave to my little library. I choose a more soothing place shortly.

P.S. I wrote most of this entry earlier, but I did not have a dictionary on me at the start. There was a break before teaching. I spent the duration working in Irish only in my brain. I did not know a phrase and a particular meaning. I made notes in English when I did not know the Irish version in my mind. I reckoned mightily, and it was practicing to help me.