A Visit To Terry And Terry And To Colin

This is a charming little video of a trip to Terry and Terry's place back in 1989. I was barely able to make it out there because of work and almost didn't go. However, as is usual with these things , as soon as you get to your destination you realize that it was all worthwhile after all. This trip was no exception. Mam and Dad were in fine form. Dad just loved dressing up in the fisherman's gear and holding the salmon up over the sink as if had just caught it.
I had brought the salmon and some oysters from Seattle and of course they were devoured. I think that this was the trip where we did the log of lamb that Dad called 'ony gorgeous'. This was picked up by Terry girl and is now part of the Walsh lexicon. It has always been a well-used expression in the family but somehow Terry's american accent gave it new life and meaning.
Mother bear held court as The Queen Bee of the family of course. She was the center of the whole thing in her own quiet way. I did notice one thing though; in one of the clips Colin is asking her who her favorite son was etc etc. Sleeveen that he is he asks her these questions when none of us are around so she has no choice but to answer in the affirmative. This time though Mam was not wearing her glasses and see couldn't see very well. She told me later that she thought she was talking to me. Case of mistaken identity I suppose.
I think Terry girl will really enjoy this if she hasn't seen it already. I don't know if anyone has seen this before but I may be mistaken.
I just love the look on Colin's face when he is told he was getting his head in the picture by Terry. If that was today of course the tune would be different and would go something like:


Jimmy and Terry get up from the fire, get up and give the man a chair
Don't you see it's your brother Colin and he's sittin' in a draft.
You know very well he has a few bob and he's buyin' us all iphones
Get up ouda that yez impudent brats and let the golden boy sit down


How things have changed over the course of a few years.
But, on the serious side, it was great having us all together with Mam and Dad.


The clip with Dad and the fish was done in Colin's house.

Gordy The Bulldog

Gordy is a bulldog that I met in one of the rest stops between Roseburg and Seattle. He just would not cooperate with his owner and that was his charm. The larger morale of this little clip is how willing people are to show off their dogs and how much they love them. I have met more people since I got Dudley than I have ever had in all my travels. People are willing to strike up a conversation and open up when they have dog than they would otherwise. It's funny how these animals bring out the best in people and provide an reason to be congenial.

Dudley And The Red Ray Bans

Another day another outing. This one is particularly cute because of Dudleys antics with my red ray bans.

Fred

I mean really! Just going crazy with this camera. More to come on this great trip.

London In The Sixties

This is small pictorial history of our first years in London in the sixties.
I started work in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin around 1963, the year JFK was killed in Dallas. While there I became friends with a fellow commis chef called Barry Gormley. At the time we met and became friends we were very disillusioned with life in Dublin and we eventually talked ourselves and each other into leaving and going to work in London. We were both the same age and we seemed to get on well. I already had a friend working in London who I knew from Jervis St. Hospital so that made it easier for us.
Final plans were made and after about a month or so of preparation and trepidation we were ready to head out across the Irish Sea. Even after all the plans were made we still wondered if we would go through with it and really leave home when the time came. We swore we would go up on deck as the ship pulled out of the harbour just to see how we felt. We did just that and declared ourselves happy with the wisdom of our decision to leave. 
Dad left us to the train station and kept warning me about IRA secret clubs and the like, final words of advice from father to son. We shook hands stiffly and said goodbye. Dad did not go away, he didn't leave the station. He stayed there and looked through the window shifting he weight from one foot to the other with an awkward smile on his face. He was dressed in his work suit with The Irish Times sticking our of his pocket. This was all very embarrassing for a young man about to seek his fortune in far off lands. When I think of this moment of Dad looking through the window and my reaction I am once again reminded of the Mark Twain quote about ' the old man'. I think that my extreme youth prevented me from seeing that he wanted to see us right to the end. We will never know but he may have had that feeling of emptiness and the tear in his eye as he saw his eldest son leave home for good. These are the events that , in retrospect , teach youth about life. The sudden , years later , realization that in all our youthful enthusiasm we were unable to understand the feelings of others. 
After what seemed like an eternity the train started to chug our of the station and we were on our way to great adventures.
At this time of life and with all the excitement we forgot the feelings of others. I know Mam was very upset when I left and Dad, I am sure , in his own was was sad. We know better today. It only took a few decades and a few knocks out of life.
We transferred from the train to the ship and finally left the old sod. On the way out we kept true to our promise and went up on deck to see Ireland passing in the distance to see how we felt. We felt fine.
I had already secured a job in the Savoy Hotel in London before we left and when we got to London Barry found himself a job in The Grosvenor House on Park Lane. This was also one of the premiere hotels in London and it still is.
We settled into London life and it was all very exciting to see all the sights. We had no money to speak of so we didn't get out much. We worked long hours and I think I got about two pounds ten a week. Most of our money went on rent and food but we were happy to be in a new country with what seemed like more opportunities.
Eventually we moved into better digs and we did quite well. We were both going out with twin sisters Gillian and Lynette Peppler and these are the girls you will see in the photos. We and the girls all lived in the same house in separate flats. We lived in Finsbury Park and this is where these photos were taken. Terry arrived after a year or so and so did Gerard Twyford and Phyllis.
I left the Savoy eventually and went to work in a small hotel for a while. Barry left his hotel and went into teaching. He had never been happy in the hotel industry and may have been the wiser of the two of us.
We went our separate ways after a few years and I didn't hear from Barry again. When I left London he was still with Gillian, the fair haired girl in the photo, and they were pretty much settled. I was off to greener pastures and great adventures. I left  England to travel for many a year.
I always wondered what happened to Barry. Our friendship was a big part of life for both of us and I was curious as to his whereabouts and wondered what had happened to the girls. I had tried to find him through the Internet but to no avail.
Then, a couple of weeks ago I got an email from him. He had seen the post of the Gresham Hotel Menu on the blog and contacted me. It was nice to hear from him.
It is most appropriate that the soundtrack for this little clip should be of The Beatles. Our lives were measured by the release of of each Beatles album. It was the swinging sixties in London and the air was electric with music and flowers and love. Even though I could not afford the life style at that time I went down to Carnaby Street and bought and overcoat and a pair of shoes. The shoes were shiny and had  buckles on them and the overcoat had one of those Edwardian collars and was double breasted. Thankfully none of the photos of that gear survived.

Cavatina

I am always taken by these peaceful creatures who nevertheless are constantly aware of their surroundings and of any imminent danger to themselves. I was particularly taken by this little scene because of the arrival of the adult. This was about 5.30 pm on a hot day but the deer seem so cool and collected in the heat. I hope this brings some peace to the day wherever you are in the world. It certainly did to mine.

Roadster

Roseburg is a great place for antique cars. Every year there is an event called graffiti weekend where classic car enthusiasts from all around the country come for the weekend. They are very proud of their cars and will spare no time explaining where they got them, how they fixed them up, how much money and how many hours they put into fixing them. A true weekend of proud Americana and the gentler and proud part of American culture. A sight to behold.

Queen Anne Jaunt

More fun, games, purchases and merry making from the Roseburg Jet Set. This time up in Seattle to check on the house. Wish I could afford this life.

Remembering Harry Chapin, 30 years ago this weekend.

Abbie And Mam

Abbie's with Mam for her 7th birthday celebrations.

Granda Waddell's Birthday Today

Born in 1881. One hundred and thirty years ago.

Carol And Rich

Carol and Rich having a summer afternoon natter today. Carol is telling Rich about her recent cruise to Alaska. Pretty soon she will be off to Paris and she will be able to tell us what a wonderful time she had there. We never go anywhere and it seems she goes everyewhere. Life is just not fair after all.

JP aka 'Friend To The Stars' With Jack Klugman At A Horse Show In Washinton State

This was in the 80's near Seattle. Jack Klugman was one of the stars of 12 Angry Men and The Odd Couple among many other things. I also met Stanley Kramer at this show but did not get a photo.

The Walshes

I'm sure this has been posted before but it bears reposting and I have just come across it. It must be the only photo of the whole family. I think everyone is there.

Humpback Whale At Heceta Head Lighthouse Florence Oregon

On the way back from Florence Oregon we stopped at this picturesque and famous lighthouse on the Oregon coast. It is a beautiful sight with the vast pacific ocean at it's feet. The area attracts plenty of sea lions and in this case a Humpback Whale. This was a sight to see and as you can imagine these photos do not do it justice. A spectacular  sight! The whale would surface for breath and then go under again for two to three minutes and then come up again. There was great excitement every time it came back up and sprayed. Too bad I only had my small digital camera with me. This was a great trip and more on it anon.

Napoleon's Birthplace

This is the house where Napoleon Bonaparte was born. It is situated in the city of Ajaccio in Corsica. These shots were taken by my good friend and keen photographer Daniel Bouchard who lives in Tours France which is another city I worked in in the late seventies.
I was working in Corsica around '76 and I went to see this house. Unfortunately it was closed ( can you believe it, all the way to Corsica and it was closed ) but Daniel was there last week and took these photos. I would love to visit the house but I doubt that I will make it back to Corsica.

Brian Tracy Show

For those who don't visit the food blog.

Oh Deer, Oh Deer!

Came across these two little teenage deer on my way up the street to the house this afternoon. This seem to be a favorite grazing spot for them. I love to see these animals out and about.

Send In The Clowns

I could listen to, and have listened to, Frank all night.

Touched By The Hand Of God

The sky tonight in this, His most beautiful part of the world. Taken with a relatively cheap camera on the back porch in Roseburg , Oregon. Allah Akbar.

A Day Out At A Wild West Show In Delvin

Posted for Brendan.

Mam and Fran

Fran came for a visit to Mam's today. Don't they look brilliant.

Brendan's Birthday June 28th

Terry Girl Sent This To Me - Very Funny

Irish Medical Dictionary
 
 The Irish have the lowest stress rate
 because they do not take medical terminology seriously
 You are going to die anyway, so live life
 

Medical Term  /  Irish Definition

Artery  =  The study of paintings
Bacteria =  Back door to cafeteria
Barium =  What doctors do when patients die
 Benign = what you be, after you be eight
Caesarean Section = A neighborhood in Rome
Cat scan = Searching for Kitty

Cauterize = Made eye contact with her
Colic = A sheep dog
 Coma =  A punctuation mark
 Dilate =  To live long
 Enema =  Not a friend
 Fester =  Quicker than someone else
 Fibula =  A small lie
 Impotent =  Distinguished, well known
 Labour Pain =  Getting hurt at work
 Medical Staff =  A Doctor's cane
 Morbid =  A higher offer
 Nitrates =  Rates of Pay for Working at Night,  Normally more money than Days
 Node =  I knew it
 Outpatient =  A person who has fainted
 Pelvis =  Second cousin to Elvis
 Post-Operative =  A letter carrier
 Recovery Room =  Place to do upholstery
 Rectum =  Nearly killed him
 Secretion =  Hiding something
 Seizure =  Roman Emperor
 Tablet =  A small table
 Terminal Illness =  Getting sick at the airport
 Tumour =  One plus one more
 Urine =  Opposite of you're out

Graham On The Guitar

May you never. Graham doing a good job with this song.

Short Walk

A short walk ( although it seemed long to me because I was so tired ) around a beautiful mirror like lake near Winchester Bay. Lots of fishermen who were almost guaranteed a catch as the lake was populated with farm fish. Definitely not our Ter's cup of tea but it made for a great day of fishing for those who were not experts. I probably could even have caught a fish myself. It was a nice tranquil and very quiet atmosphere with lots of trees and a wonderful trail. Only 90 minutes from Roseburg.

Little Deer In The Back Garden Around 6 am This Morning.

It was as surprised as I was.

Happy Birthday to Jamie. 23 today.

Ali, Jamie and Terry, when Jamie was home for a visit this past April

The ' Hur ' At The Beach In Winchester Bay

 

Finally some new photos of JP !!!!!!

A Thought For Father's Day

Hommage A Mon Pere

 Dad and I never got along. We were always at odds and he could never have a normal conversation with me the way he could with all the others. This is all common knowledge. I don’t really know why but that is the way it was for a long time. We would try to make small talk but it never seemed natural and it was always uncomfortable for him and for me. We both tried but we could never reach that level of common communication that seemed to be natural with everyone else. I still don’t know why.

I was always envious of the easy banter he had with all the others.

Yet I have so many memories of him that were carefree and happy. He had a beautiful sweet baritone voice and when he was in good mood he would sing as he was getting ready for work, usually on a Saturday Night. He would ease into a Crosby or Sinatra ballad and we would follow him around saying ‘Da, da why don’t you become a singer’? He just loved it. He would look at us with that look that only Brendan can recreate and made us wonder if he was seriously considering such a change in career. We knew he was good. He would enthrall us while looking into the lopsided mirror that was above the fireplace. He knew we were in the palm of his hand and he played with us like a true troubadour. He was teasing us one minute, fishing for compliments the next.

In these moments of abandon we adored him. He was ‘Joe’ our Dad, although we would never call him ‘Joe ‘to his face.

One night, I must have been all of ten years old, while watching him shave I convinced him to leave a little pencil Clarke Gable type moustache. He did and I was thrilled, we thought he looked like a film star. He looked fantastic. I expected Mam would appear as Scarlett O’Hara. He was told to leave it on but, alas, he couldn’t. It was inconceivable to me that he would shave it off, but to my disappointment he did.

It was one thing to impress his children and make them laugh: it was quite another to go into the Irish Press looking like Clarke Gable.

In those years he was virile, he was robust and he counted. His authority was undeniable. His demeanor went from stern to stern and understanding with a hint of humour. He was everything to all our little minds. He was omnipotent! He was our Dad!

Time went by and I left and life went on. Contrary to the old saying time was not a healer of all wounds. If we ever met again conversations were stilted and not at all natural. I ignored it and carried on. It didn’t matter.

But it did matter. I came home in 1998 and had a great time with Mam and Dad and all the children. After a long absence I was able to be with them  and all the siblings for an evening. That was all I wanted. There was misunderstanding about having ‘the kids’ there but I just wanted to be with Mam, Dad and my brothers and sisters.

A few days later and after the end of one evening of Guinness and singsong it was time to leave and Dad was sitting in his  chair at the fireplace. He was no longer the same presence  that he had been but a frail old man, a shadow of his former self,  enjoying himself vicariously through his family.

As I was about to leave I stood up and approached him. Instinctively I kissed him on the forehead and told him I loved him and said” See you tomorrow Da”. In his characteristic way he looked up  at me and said ‘Ah, don’t be daft’ but he gave my hand a very tight and meaningful  squeeze anyway. With that little gesture all the years of misunderstanding and missed opportunities seemed to disappear and blow away with the wind.

He died a few months later.

Postscript:

It must be pointed out that this is nothing more than a simple commentary on our family history. It is not a plea for understanding or a sad statement. What it really is is an homage to Dad who was himself a character. Nothing in this is new. All families go through these kinds of things and ours is no exception. So this little narrative should be read with as much humor as pathos, nothing more.  We all love Mam and Dad and we are thankful that there are as many stories and events to guide us through our own lives.