A little bit of envy at this time of year
Today, I enjoyed a few words with Fionnuala Harken & we reminisced. She owned the Little Italy Restaurant in Clonakilty, known to all and sundry as Fionnuala's. In fact, I don't ever remember calling it anything else and in recent years, if I needed to explain where Ashe Street is in Clonaklty, all I had to do was say it's the street where Fionnuala's was. Everybody knew! Now it's the home of The Farm restaurant and we're thrilled to be a supplier.
For both of us our lives have changed considerably since our first meeting. Fionnuala's was a great place to get superb pizza etc in the company of two small children. Now of course she gets to take proper breaks while Willie has just completed our production and delivery plan right up to the first week in January 2015!
Driving home from Clonakilty, I thought of the many people who live in a tunnel. I know I'm probably not going to explain myself very well, but I'll try. Growing up, entering the Civil Service or joining 'the bank' were seen as good places for me to work. I remember well recoiling from the very idea of being in one place doing one job for the rest of my life. Even when times have been very bad, I still don't regret my decision. I was brought up on a farm to be adaptable in small things - if a cow was calving at dinnertime, the dinner was put on hold, you didn't tell the cow to hold on; or coming home from school, seeing cattle or sheep on the road and getting on with the job of making sure they were back in a field before sitting down for something to eat. In our house, meals were a moveable feast depending on what was happening; the time of year; and who was eating. We all got three meals a day but work that had to be done, was done. I used to envy my friends who could waltz into the kitchen from playing with their toys at a certain time, sit down and be presented with a meal. Now I know differently. I was the lucky one. Being adaptable in small things helps to make us adaptable to all sorts of lifestyle changes. I hope our lads will have the same outlook when they have time to review their lives and where they are in 10, 20 or 30 years time.
Tomorrow, I may not be able to write because I'm doing a tasting in S.V. Bandon from 08.30-1pm, and then I'm driving to O'Driscoll's of Ballinlough Road, Cork, from 3pm for their Food Fair. I really enjoyed this last year and am looking forward to it.
Saturday morning will be a bit of a departure for me as I've been invited to be M.C. at the Bandonbridge National School Christmas Fair to be held in Bandon Grammar School Sports Hall from 10.30am-1pm.
For both of us our lives have changed considerably since our first meeting. Fionnuala's was a great place to get superb pizza etc in the company of two small children. Now of course she gets to take proper breaks while Willie has just completed our production and delivery plan right up to the first week in January 2015!
Driving home from Clonakilty, I thought of the many people who live in a tunnel. I know I'm probably not going to explain myself very well, but I'll try. Growing up, entering the Civil Service or joining 'the bank' were seen as good places for me to work. I remember well recoiling from the very idea of being in one place doing one job for the rest of my life. Even when times have been very bad, I still don't regret my decision. I was brought up on a farm to be adaptable in small things - if a cow was calving at dinnertime, the dinner was put on hold, you didn't tell the cow to hold on; or coming home from school, seeing cattle or sheep on the road and getting on with the job of making sure they were back in a field before sitting down for something to eat. In our house, meals were a moveable feast depending on what was happening; the time of year; and who was eating. We all got three meals a day but work that had to be done, was done. I used to envy my friends who could waltz into the kitchen from playing with their toys at a certain time, sit down and be presented with a meal. Now I know differently. I was the lucky one. Being adaptable in small things helps to make us adaptable to all sorts of lifestyle changes. I hope our lads will have the same outlook when they have time to review their lives and where they are in 10, 20 or 30 years time.
Tomorrow, I may not be able to write because I'm doing a tasting in S.V. Bandon from 08.30-1pm, and then I'm driving to O'Driscoll's of Ballinlough Road, Cork, from 3pm for their Food Fair. I really enjoyed this last year and am looking forward to it.
Saturday morning will be a bit of a departure for me as I've been invited to be M.C. at the Bandonbridge National School Christmas Fair to be held in Bandon Grammar School Sports Hall from 10.30am-1pm.
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