August 2025, The End Of Summer.

 Hello again my lovelies, how is this week treating you? I am contemplating getting a fringe/bangs, so that should tell you something about my state of mind! Of course, if I do, it will be another few months before I get around to posting any pictures, so watch this space, haha.

Moonrise over Pollan Strand.

Here are some photos and videos from the last three weeks of August last year. As I said in my last post, July and August are always busy here with family visiting, so there was a lot more of that. My Mum, sister, and niece came over from England to stay with me for a few days, before going to down to stay at the family house at the Shore, so I got to see them a lot while they were over. I also got to see some of my many cousins at the Shore quite a few more times, as well as aunts and uncles. 

Sunset over Pollan Strand.

Sunset over Pollan Strand.

Sheep by sunset.

There were some big meals out, some big meals in, some nice long walks, and even a swim! That was a big deal for me, as I hadn't actually been in for a swim in many years, and everyone gave me grief for it, since I live so close to the beach. I should have listened to my own intuition, which was telling me that it would be a bad idea with my health issues. It turned out, I was absolutely right. While it was nice to be in the water and splash about with my sister and niece, the cold set off a pretty severe autoimmune response in my body, and afterwards I felt very unwell for a few days. I will spare you the photos I took of my extremities looking deathly white and blue, due to the Raynaud's I suffer from, but you can laugh at the picture I'm sharing where I was attempting to warm up! I was dressed in many layers, under a duvet, sat next to the fire, with a hot drink, and still shivering for hours afterwards. Not a fun feeling. Bear in mind that this was a warm day in August! 

Family walk.

Clonmany River Walk.

Standing Stone and Rachtin Mor.

Old Stone Cottage, Mullagh.

View over Pollan Bay from Mullagh.

Standing Stones and Bulaba. 

Attempting to warm up after a swim!

One of my pet peeves is how everyone likes to give health advice, even though they are far from qualified. Wild swimming, cold plunges, and ice baths might have many health benefits for some of you, but not for me! In fact, they have quite a detrimental effect, so please stop trying to persuade me. I am already doing all the things that I should be doing, and that have been recommended by doctors and specialists, not just some random person on TikTok. I have decades of experience living with these diseases, and I know what helps and hurts my body. I appreciate the sentiment behind these suggestions, but people don't realise how condescending they sound to someone who is dealing with long-term chronic conditions. What makes you think I'm not already doing everything in my power?? There is no cure for any of the issues I have. There is no magic pill or exercise that will make it all go away. Everything that I, and those like me do, everything we take, all the medications, the treatments, the diet and exercise plans, they only help the symptoms, and often only slightly. That is something we have to deal with. And it doesn't help to have a healthy person say things like, "Oh, have you tried taking some Vitamin C?" !!!! 

Raindrops on Hawthorn.

Crocosmia/Scotch Corn in the rain.

View from Ardagh.

Ardagh Sheep.

Anyway. As well as seeing my family, I had some appointments with my Doctor in Clonmany, and with the people at Citizen's Advice in Carndonagh. It was recommended that I apply for a Disability Allowance, due to my many health issues, and how I struggle to work. I have been working on creative projects since I moved to Ireland, my Voiceover work, and my new art, but I have not been able to work consistently enough to pay my bills. I had some savings that I have been living off of this whole time, but they were almost gone. It was an extremely difficult thing to admit to myself, and to others, but I finally came to a point where I needed to ask for help. This realisation, and the humiliation of getting to this point, only made my anxiety and depression that much worse, and added to my struggles. 

Me.

Family meal at Nancy's Barn.

Glashedy in the rain.

Glashedy in the rain.

I'll update you more on all that later. It is an ongoing, extremely stressful, humiliating, and depressing process. This post brings me to the end of August 2025, so now I am "only" five and a bit months behind. 

Rainbow low over Pollan Strand.

July to August 2025, Sunsets, Selfies, and Selling Some Art.

 Hello my lovelies, how are you all doing? How is February treating you so far? I am still struggling with deep depression, and once again have to apologise for being so far behind with... well, everything. I do have some nice photos to share with you from last July and August though, so I hope you enjoy. 

The 31st of July 2025 marked three years since I left America! Sometimes I need to stop and think how far I've come. Things have definitely not been perfect here, and 2025 in particular was extremely difficult for me, but I am still so grateful, every single day, that I am here in Ireland. I honestly don't know how I would cope if I was still in the States, especially now. It was bad when I left, and has only gotten worse! I worry so much for my friends, and for the state the world in general. 

The end of July and all of August are fairly busy for me here in Ballyliffin. It's the time when most of my extended family are visiting the Shore, so there are always relatives coming and going, and so many people to see and catch up with. It is so lovely to see so many of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and all their children. There are so many generations of us now, that have been lucky enough to spend summers here at Pollan Bay, and it draws us all back again and again. So there were many evenings last summer where I walked down to the shore, and got to chat, drink, and catch up with loved ones. One evening was the annual curry night, where we all bring a dish to share, and afterwards we sat around a fire pit and the children had toasted marshmallows. It's so lovely to see certain traditions being passed down! 

Summer of course is also the time when friends want to visit, as theoretically, the weather will be better. Of course, that's not always the case on the Wild Atlantic Way, haha! But I also had some friends come back on a repeat visit during this time, and we went out to dinner at Nancy's Barn again, which is always a treat, and then out for some drinks at the Ballyliffin Townhouse. I was back at the Townhouse the next night as well with a few of my cousins. We are all similar ages and bonded when we were teenagers, so it was lovely to have a proper girls night out and catch up. No photos of these nights, I need to get better at remembering, haha!

The first full week in August was the annual Clonmany Festival, which is a huge deal in this area. I didn't go for the music, but I was at the Clonmany Community Centre Craft Fair on Thursday 7th August. I had done this fair a couple of years ago, but this year I did a complete rebrand, and officially launched my new "Peace of Pollan" work. I have been focusing on beachy-themed jewellery, and started a whole new range of mixed media art inspired by my sea views. I will post again soon with some close ups of my new work. 

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

Looking a little windswept! Selfie with a sunset.

July Sunset over Pollan Bay.

Selfie with a Guinness. 

Selfie with a glass of wine. 

Wildflowers and Crockaughrim. 

Some of my jewellery on display at the Clonmany Festival Craft Fair. 

Some of my art on display at the Clonmany Festival Craft Fair. 

Another selfie. 

Oh look, another selfie!

July 2025, Grand Views and a Graduation.

 Well hello again my loves, how are you doing today? I am still determined to catch up with this Blog sooner rather than later, so I apologise for the bombardment of posts, but hopefully you'll all enjoy the views as much as I do. (If you don't, why are you here??) 

Obligatory Airport Pint & Selfie.

View from the Window Seat.

These photos were all taken between 13th-18th July 2025, a busy few days! I traveled from Ballyliffin to Derry, and then flew into Manchester on the Sunday evening. From there I traveled on the train to Heald Green, where my dear friend Elisha picked me up, and took me to her place in Chinley, which is in the High Peaks area of Derbyshire. I always love visiting Elisha and her partner Russ, as they are wonderful company, and seeing some of the beautiful countryside nearby is an added bonus! 

Pint with a view, The Club, Chinley.

I have known Elisha since secondary school, and she came to visit me several times when I lived in America, so we have had quite a few adventures together. Of course, living in different countries means that we don't get to see each other very often, but it is always like no time has passed when we meet up again. I love that! The Sunday night we went out to the Chinley Bar and Lounge, also known locally as "The Club". They had several cask ales on tap, as well as a lovely outdoor seating area with beautiful views, so of course I didn't need much persuading to go! As so often happens when I'm catching up with friends, I neglected to take a photo of us together, but I did take some of my beer. Priorities, haha! 

The Old Hall, Whitehough.

The Old Hall, Whitehough.

The Old Hall, Whitehough.

Elisha is a teacher, so she had to go to work the next morning, but I got to have a nice lie in, and then chat with Russ over cups of tea. He had been working the night before, so it was good to see him too. He kindly dropped me off at the nearby village of Whitehough, and I went to the Old Hall Inn for lunch and a couple of drinks. It was a beautiful day, again, very hot for the UK, (too hot for me!) but after lunch I did find a shady spot outside and sat and read my book and enjoyed the gorgeous views. Afterwards I went for a walk around the area to see what I could see, but the heat was a bit much, so I didn't stray too far, before heading back to Chinley. Elisha cooked a lovely meal, and we had another lovely evening chatting and setting the world to rights.

Views from Chinley.

Views from Chinley.

Tuesday was another hot day, but with rain predicted. After another luxurious lie in, I set out for a walk to the nearby Nature Reserve for a wander. It did rain, but I welcomed it, and still got to enjoy my walk, and some lovely views. there was a wooded section, with lots of moss, so I was in my element. That evening was another night in with Elisha. She said that she felt bad that we hadn't done much together. I told her I was more than happy with some quiet days, old buildings, cask ales, and nature walks! And of course, their company. I don't need to be kept entertained by my hosts, I was just grateful to have a place to stay, and it doesn't take much to make me happy. 

Chinley Local Nature Reserve.

Chinley Local Nature Reserve.

Harebells, Chinley Local Nature Reserve.

Chinley Local Nature Reserve.

Views from Chinley.

Wednesday 16th July I got up early to say goodbye to Elisha before she went off to work, and re-packed my things. Gareth kindly drove to collect me, and after a nice lunch nearby at the Paper Mill Inn (connected to the Old Mill) he drove us all the way to Aberystwyth. It sounds very convoluted to explain it, but it was for my ex-boyfriend's eldest son's girlfriend's graduation. So, Gareth's son Myles' girlfriend, Liv, was graduating the next day, and even though Gareth and I were no longer together, I was invited. I was so honoured to be considered, so of COURSE I was going to be there. Gareth's three children were all grown up before I met them, and obviously we were never family in the traditional sense, but they, and Liv, will always be family to me. 

Celebrating this gorgeous girl on her Graduation Day.

Graduation Celebration.

Graduation Celebration.

We spent Wednesday evening hanging out, chatting and catching up, and watching some TV. Thursday morning, Gareth, Myles and myself decorated the living room as a surprise for Liv before she woke up. Then Gareth's younger son, Ewan, arrived from the train, and we all got ready together, before heading to Aberystwyth University for Liv's Graduation ceremony. We got to hang out in the Student Union and watch other students on the big screen, before it was Liv's time, and we all went to the auditorium to cheer her on. I could not have been more proud of her, if she were my own! There were more drinks afterwards, the obligatory photos, some formal gatherings, and then we all went back to their place for an intimate party to celebrate Liv and all her achievements. Oh, and I got to play with their pet snake, Noodle, whom I adore.

Love this Noodle.

Love this Noodle.

New accessory! 

Friday morning we were all tired, but those of us that had to leave had to get up and ready. Gareth kindly drove me to Liverpool airport, and from there I caught a flight back to Derry, before getting a lift from my Uncle back to Ballyliffin. It had only been a few days, and it was wonderful to see everyone, but as always, I was glad to be home. 

Obligatory Airport Drink & Selfie.