Well, life is busy as usual here at our “quiet retirement” retreat. The weather continues to tease us with a few hours of sunshine, occasionally a whole day, with heavy rain in between. The land doesn’t have time to dry out and so when Fergus, our tree surgeon, arrived we were rather worried about his […]
About Me
Jennie Finch on the seafront at Saltburn.
The Moth Man
The Drowners
The death of the Elver Man
It’s a busy time in rural Tipperary
Posted by Jennie Finch on April 12, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/its-a-busy-time-in-rural-tipperary/
In like a lion, out like a (bi-polar) lamb
Well, spring is supposedly upon us and there are a number of promising signs. This last week we managed to get our new trees in, finally. After the scramble to get some from the “Free Trees Ireland” site there was a long delay. The weather has been so bad the poor growers haven’t been able […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on March 29, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/in-like-a-lion-out-like-a-bi-polar-lamb/
A post mainly about our lovely Chloe.
I seem to do a lot of apologizing for a late post at the moment but life has a habit of kicking us when we are down at present. This last fortnight has been a tough one and this is a rather sad post though there is a bit of a laugh at the end. […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on March 10, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/a-post-mainly-about-our-lovely-chloe/
The flowers that bloom in the spring tra lah
According to the Celtic calendar spring begins on the first of February. This is St Brigid’s day, a holiday in Ireland and it is often marked by hanging wreaths of flowers outside houses. Even older rituals involve tying coloured fabric to oak trees, possibly as native flowers are rare that early in the year. Or […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on February 25, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/the-flowers-that-bloom-in-the-spring-tra-lah/
To the wood, to the wood – again.
Hello, welcome back and I hope you are all safe and dry after this spell of appalling weather. We have been rather quiet this last few weeks, partly through necessity and partly due to the return of the ‘flu we had before Christmas. We’ve christened it “shark ‘flu” because after taking a bite it circles […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on February 8, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/to-the-wood-to-the-wood-again/
Living in interesting times, in the Chinese sense
Please forgive my brevity and lateness but we are living in very interesting times at present. This New Year has certainly been eventful and I am really, really hoping it doesn’t carry on as it has begun. After all, interesting times in China is a curse. We opened the month with one of our little […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on January 29, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/living-in-interesting-times-in-the-chinese-sense/
And a Happy New Year to you all
Well, the festivities are almost over, the excesses of the past weeks should be fading and we are back at the start of a new year. We have been very quiet tis year, just us and our little pack of dogs. They still number three though Chloe is now 18 and her daughter has not […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on January 5, 2026
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/and-a-happy-new-year-to-you-all/
Keep Calm and Carry On – it’s Christmas
It is hard to believe this is our fifth Christmas in Ireland. Five years ago we packed up, gave many of our possessions away and left the UK. We had a rental cottage arranged but no permanent home to go to and we knew very little about the area we had chosen. It was, truly, […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on December 21, 2025
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/keep-calm-and-carry-on-its-christmas/
A bit more than “something” this month
As I have said before, there’s always something. Something to go wrong, or get in the way, or just vanish for absolutely no reason. Well, this month there’s been a bit more than just something and this overload’s the reason I didn’t post last time. Generally there are a few hiccups, living in such different […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on December 7, 2025
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/a-bit-more-than-something-this-month/
I’m alright! – Growing old is not for wimps
We have a new catch phrase in our house now. “I’m alright!” we call from one room to another. Maybe I’ve dropped something or there’s the sound of a bump or a sudden silence. Wherever we are we stop, listen and prepare to hurry to the aid of the other. Then comes the welcome sound […]
Posted by Jennie Finch on November 9, 2025
https://www.jenniefinch.me.uk/im-alright-growing-old-is-not-for-wimps/