Hello my loves, and happy July. I hope that you have all been doing well? I know it's been a long time since I've written. Truthfully, I am just about hanging on by a thread. 2026 has been another tough year so far, and that has taken a toll on both my mental and physical health. I can say that I am still here, however, and I have some more photos and videos to share with you. I know that some of you have been missing my views! (All three of you that read my Blog anyway, haha!) These were all taken over the Christmas and New Year period, 2025.
Off to meet the girls.
Venison Steaks!
I got back from England on the 20th December, and my lovely friend Avril kindly gave me a lift back from the airport. Later we met up again for some drinks at the Ballyliffin Townhouse, along with Avril's sister and niece, whom I also know. I also bumped into one of my cousins and some of his friends, and was invited to a late dinner down at the shore. I had planned on going home and having an early night, having been up and on the go since 05:00 that morning... but they were serving venison steaks, and that seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. I was glad I went, it was great craic, and the meal was delicious!
Winter Solstice Sky.
Winter Solstice Sky.
Rain over Crockaughrim.
Pint at the Cruiskeen Lawn Bar, Buncrana.
On the 23rd of December I had to go to Buncrana to run some errands. It was nice to see the town all lit up for Christmas, and I got a few last things for my festive dinners. I was looking forward to some good meals, even though it was just me. To save time and effort, I had ordered turkey, ham, and stuffing from Nancy's Barn. They have been doing this for a number of years now, and it's a great option for those on their own, or who don't want to buy too much meat. Of course, I also bought lots of veggies for myself, and copious amounts of gravy. I prepped a few of the veggies in advance on Christmas Eve, and then settled in for a quiet evening.
Is this enough sprouts for one person?
Christmas Eve Sunset, 16:10.
In recent years, I had learned about the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð, or "Christmas Book Flood", where people give and receive new books, and spend a cozy night in on Christmas Eve, reading and sharing stories, new and old. As a book-nerd, of COURSE I loved the sound of this, and had celebrated it the last couple of years with my ex boyfriend. This year of course I was alone, and I didn't have a new book, but I still made a point to enjoy it. I re-read an old favourite, that comes out every Christmas, and basked in the glow of nostalgia and Christmas lights.
A must-read each Christmas!
A quiet Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day dawned bright and sunny and beautiful, which was perfect, as I had planned on taking a walk on the beach. I would have gone even in bad weather, but it was more enjoyable this way. I strolled along the shore, walked over the cliffs, and explored some rock pools. I also came home with a bag full of sea glass and pretty rocks and shells, which was like a wonderful Christmas gift to myself! Then I came home and had caviar for brunch. Who says you can't enjoy the holidays on your own?!
Christmas Day, Pollan Strand.
Christmas Day, Pollan Strand.
Christmas Day, Pollan Strand.
Christmas Day, Pollan Strand.
Having said that though... I did have a bit of a mishap later that day. I was going to start cooking dinner, and was very much looking forward to it. I got changed into a nice dress and heels, because again, even if I'm on my own, that doesn't mean I can't look nice! However... walking downstairs again, I managed to trip near the bottom. I tried to correct myself, but my heels caught on the edge of the step, and I fell straight down onto my knees on the tile floor, from three steps up. As you might imagine, this was a heavy landing, and very painful! My knees were badly bruised and swelled up significantly. I also managed to rip half a toenail off, though I did not even notice that until later, my knees hurt so much! And before you ask, no, I hadn't been drinking, other than one glass of mulled wine.
Christmas Dinner for one.
So. Instead of the big, elaborate meal I had planned on making, I had to rethink and downsize a bit, since standing to prep and cook was extremely painful from then on! I definitely drank some more mulled wine after that, but I think I deserved it! And to be fair, it was still a large meal for one person, since as usual, I had overestimated my stomach's capacity, haha. And there was plenty of food still, so I had different variations of a Christmas Dinner for a few days!
Boxing Day Bloody Mary, and Stranger Things!
All in all, other than my clumsiness, and banged up knees, it wasn't a bad way to spend Christmas. It wasn't the first time I'd spent it alone, and I'm sure it won't be the last. At least this time I was here, in Ballyliffin, with my beautiful views, and I got to walk on the beach and blow the cobwebs away. The next few days were more of the same, although I was struggling to walk a bit, so mostly stayed indoors and admired the views from my windows.
Boxing Day skies.
NYE Rainbow.
Rain over Glashedy.
New Year's Eve was another quiet night in. I like the old tradition of opening the back door of your house just before midnight, to let the old year out, and then on or just after midnight, opening the front door to let the new year in. I also meditated on the past year, which as you know, was a very difficult one for me. But there I was, at the end of it. I might not have survived unscathed, but I did survive.
Here's to 2026!
Here's to 2026. It has to be a better year, right? RIGHT?!
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