Dabbling thru the week

Wednesday already?

Not sure where the time is going … did a tender for some work … editing a workbook for an Oz mate … helping an artist friend set up a blog to showcase his work … went with Gabriel to photograph a few new cottages … Mags cut and coloured my hair and did a fab job … playing with Coco … talked to one of my brothers … chatted to my Pa via vidcam … read a few books … had a lovely chat with Trina …

turf stacked … and you can see the turf wall in the background

turf is then covered in reeds that grow by the road side

One of the cottages that I photographed for Gabriels Irish Cottages for Sale site is right beside a gorgeous river … big trees overhanging … a little bridge.

I’d love to live by water and if I had a car I wouldn’t mind being isolated … I love my own company … and Coco’s … as long as I can get broadband … I’m happy.

Tomorrow Mags and I are having a party for all our dogs to celebrate the anniversary of Coco turning up … she was abandoned down a lane here and Mags saved her … and I got to keep her.

I can see all the people who don’t own dogs rolling their eyes … yup … I can hear you saying ‘mad women … they’re only dogs’

Wash your mouth!

My Coco is a big bundle of pretty much unadulterated love and happiness … and I don’t think even a zen monk can be in the moment quite like a dog.

So tomorrow Mags and I are having a party.

I had my first babysitting job last Sunday and got to play with Zoe Priors Harry … dote child.

Zoe’s sister got married on Saturday and it’s a tradition in this town to party over about 3 days … and they did.

At the same time I also looked after Elaine’s 10 day old son and 4 year old daughter … both wonderful children.

Gee … newborns are … very very small. He just slept and woke a few times so I gave him his bottle and back to sleep he went.

I really enjoyed spending time with the kids (I can still hear Harry’s chuckling as I read them a book where we had to yell ” He’s behind you!!’ … big bad wolf.).

More editing to do tomorrow and of course … Coco’s party.

Hope your week is going well.

slan

Liz

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It’s an interesting time

Has it been a week since I last blogged?

Last week just seemed to fly by and the weekend ended up being particularly busy.

On Saturday I had the Blog Design Workshop.

Many thanks to Jane in Shaylyn for the idea and the space … and much thanks to Laura on Saturday for all your help setting up.

We had the usual technical hitches setting up and had to change rooms … this all happened before the participants showed up … so it looked like all was perfectly organised.

This was my first blog design workshop and I wondered if I’d get through all the material … I did … and everyone left with a newly designed blog.

I really enjoyed it and I’ll let Pam (another blogger , friend and participant at the workshop) tell you what she thought of it all.

There’s Paul (Pams husband) and me chatting before the workshop started.

It was a wonderful relaxed and informative workshop -with Liz teaching us how to blog via WordPress.com (yeah, I know I can already blog via Typepad but I needed one that is free to use for work and Paul knew nothing!)

We were joined by father and son team – Phil and Dennis,  from the new Kidscafé Youth Centre, Ballinamore, and we all learned how to set up (and indeed we did set up) a blog each! Liz is a deadly teacher and made it all so easy and answered all our questions. Well done Liz and thanks for a super afternoon. We learned loads and will be sharing it all with our students come September. Thank you!

On Sunday I was up at 8am and took Coco for a walk … she saw 2 sheep loose and ran to say hello … much to their delight … not!

I called her back … and she came … good Coco.

I was relaxing in the afternoon reading the papers when my good friend Anna Legge dropped over and said she was taking me to lunch at the Mountain Tavern … past Aughnashellin … yup … up the  mountain.

I laughed because every time Anna has me in the car and we go to the Tavern for food … it’s been shut.

I actually refused to get out of the car when we got there … and told Anna that it would be shut.

She said ‘wanna bet?’

‘Sure’ says I ‘ A million euro’

So … now I owe an extra million euro to my expenses!

We had a lovely lunch … all organic and I’m pretty sure all the vegetables and salad are from their polytunnel next to the tavern.

After lunch Anna decided it was time for one of her Mystery Drives along the back roads of Leitrim.

I love them as we end up seeing places and landscape that I’ve never seen before … and this drive was no exception.

We stopped at the waterfall and it was running very fast for the summer … but then we have had some big rain.

It is always beautiful.

Here are some shots … can’t you just imagine yourself relaxing there?

Anna then took us to a pub that still has its front grocery shop … it was in Ballinagleara  … and we stopped to read more papers.

We then spent hours wandering the back roads … getting to dead ends … reversing back on tiny roads so tractors could get by … trying to herd a donkey …

Yes … you heard right.

these are the safe … off the road donkeys

we obviously needed Mags … animal whisperer … along

We came across a donkey that had escaped it’s grazing … I tried to coax it back … but it ignored me completely.

As we went higher the views just make you so happy.

We ended up at another waterfall …

yes folks … we travelled the country side

…. and I was interested to see the turf cut and stacked on the mountain.

Anna dropped me home at 9pm … a lovely day thanks Anna.

At 11.30pm that night I was interviewed by Paul (on 1105-107FM in Dublin).

Marie Bradley had mentioned me to Paul as an interesting person to interview … thanks Marie.

We had a lovely chat for about 20 minutes about:

• Life Dreaming … the free workbook … and the whole package that Marc and I are developing to launch in late 2009
• LizBiz and blogging … I raved about how much I love living in Ballinamore and Leitrim … and how I have so many lovely readers all over the world … thanks folks.
• Why I came to Ireland
• Surviving and thriving in the recession … I told him about how I’m bartering my skills and time for things like massage (thanks Marie you are the best masseur) and coal and stuff. I also said that with my consultancy business being so badly affected … I was really taking time to look at all my skills and how they might make money … more on that later.

It was great fun … I had let people know fairly late on Facebook that I was doing the interview … and Derek and Lynda streamed it live in America ... gotta love social media folks.

Surviving and thriving in the recession

It’s a challenge ... no doubt about it.

And an opportunity.

Friends have been great at helping me brainstorm a pile of ideas:

• I’m available to babysit over the summer period … particularly the Festival. You know I love kids … and even better … they like me. Ring me on 9645443 if you want me to sit on your children!
• I’m going to see if I can do some more Blog Design workshops in Carrick and Dublin.
• Sending some information to the Cavan and Leitrim VEC’s about the training I do
• Developing a Training Info Pack and sending it to some national charities
• Still sending in tenders for work … I have 2 or 3 to do this week
• Have applied for social welfare while money from the consultancy is non existent
• Can develop peoples resumes and help them name and define their skills
• Will develop and design a blog for a family, business or community group/club
• Can walk dogs … or maybe they walk me!
• Continuing to develop Life Dreaming and SKIL2 with Marc ... that will have long term payoff
• Can teach swimming … I used to teach swimming for people aged between 4 and 60+ … I can also help ‘fix’ people swimming styles so it’s easier to move through the water.
  
• Still available to barter my skills and time for … other skills and products
• If you’re a business then I can help streamline work processes and help you think strategically about the future.

Not a bad list off the top of my head.

See … what I ‘ve realised is that it’s easy to get into a rut … to only see yourself in a certain way.

Not having contracts for my consultancy has forced me (because it’s often external circumstances that start change in our lives) to relook at myself and what I can offer … and … it’s starting to be fun to think of new ways of earning money.

My Dad said to me many many years ago when I was a girl

‘ I don’t really care what work you choose to do … as long as you do the best you can. If you want to be a hole digger … then dig the best hole’

He’s a wise man is my Pa.

Every job I’ve every had … from cleaning peoples houses … to tending bars … to developing a major training plan for St Vincent de Paul Ireland … I’ve given it my best … and always enjoyed the people in the process.

Now … the bills and debts haven’t gone away … they are actually growing.

What I know is this … I am doing everything within my power to earn money and reduce expenses … and stay happy and content in the process.

All the things that are outside my power … I give up to the Universe … or the deity of your choosing.

In the Life Dreaming Treasure Chest that Marc and I are designing … I have created a Resource Wheel … which is pretty darn useful to me at the moment.

I took it out yesterday and had a look at what I was using and what I needed to draw on … was very pleased to se how many internal and external resources I was using … I really do use all the tools I create for Life Dreaming.

It acted as a kind of checklist … just in case I had missed anything.

what you see when you look at things differently

So this week I keep developing ideas and ways to earn money as well as spend time with friends … write this blog … and walk Coco.

I send you big wishes for abundance and prosperity this week.

slan

Liz

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A productive week in Ballinamore

It’s Thursday and all day I’ve kept thinking it was Friday … cool … another day to do some SKIL2 work.

I posted my work To Do list at the beginning of the week and I’ve achieved about 90% of it … plus all the extra stuff that comes along.

Life Dreaming got the short straw so I have designated all next week as Life Dreaming Week … much to my brother Marc’s (and business partner) relief … that boy can nag ever so gently… even when he’s travelling through the US.

SKIL2 has meanwhile bounded along … I’ve been doing up a pile of notes from the two 3 hour meetings that the Depaul Ireland SKIL2 Team have had (with me as Chair) … heaps of great stuff.

I’m also typing up notes I wrote for a SKIL2 information pack … which Marc will make fab with his genius design touch.

And … I created an invitation only Group on my SKIL2 network for my Depaul SKIL2 Team. The rest of the areas on the network are open to anyone.

This will be the space where we email … upload and share files … chat about ideas … and generally develop SKIL2 between meetings.

It’s the first time for some Team members to participate in an online network (other than Facebook) so I’ll be interested to get peoples feedback.

I think it’s miles better than just email.

And … I’ve taken Coco on 2 one hour walks a day since Tuesday … we both enjoy it.

Yesterday we got caught in a quick rainstorm (what? rain in Ireland in summer … how unusual … not) and I happily sheltered under a tree.

Coco went and checked that the sheep were ok.

It’s 3 days now and she still comes back and lies down like a trained sheep dog when I call ‘ Back Here’ … it worked even when she was chasing a rabbit today.

So proud of her.

See how she goes into the point position?

We had a lovely sunny morning walk today and I love seeing how the light comes through the trees … it makes it kind of magical.

When we were walking along Coco spied a pigeon … who tried to quietly sidle away … pigeon not Coco.

And … all the plans for healthy eating have been met … not a chip … chocolate … cake … take away … alcoholic beverage … has passed my lips since Friday.

It’s all healthy and about 2 litres of water a day … I’ll have to do something crazy soon as all this clean living is OTT for me.

And there’s always something that puts our lives in perspective.

Someone I love very much has been going through a very hard time … and this week we spent hours emailing back and forth … listening and sharing and just being there. They are feeling much better than at the beginning of the week and also realise there’s a way to go … pretty much a life time.

I’m so proud of them … it takes immense courage to say you need help … that your life is really unhappy … and that you want to create a better life for yourself.

And it takes even more courage to start taking the small steps to connect to your own power … to really reflect on the habits, patterns and pain that you want to change … to speak your own truth … and worry less about what other people think … to make some real choices about who you want to be and how you want to live your life.

I stopped being a good girl about 20 years ago and as a result I am really happy and content most of the time.

I visit the Sunny Funny Garden every day and it’s getting a kind of Secret Garden look about it. If the sun shines over the weekend I’m going in to do some weeding.

Anyway dear reader … I hope your week has gone well.

I’m off to walk Coco again.

Slan

Liz

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