Positive light in dark times

Fun, family, food & friends

As I drove home today a ripe blackberry in the hedgerow caught my eye, how could we be here already?  The summer is flying, a blur of busy days.  For the kids it’s been full of beach swimming, ice cream and day trips. For me it seems more like long shifts at work, dodging the seemingly constant rain and trying to stay upbeat while our world rages.  Just last week my incredible brother shared his tips for visiting our beautiful city of Belfast, now I stand in front of the TV, horrified, watching the abhorrent racist attacks in the streets, ashamed.  The children ask why; I can’t speak, I’m shocked.  This isn’t the city I know and love.

The vibrant, fun city of Belfast

Belfast as been through a whole lot of hell over the years, it’s a complex place but this new level of racist intimidation and violence is partly confusing and wholly disgusting.  A fundraiser set up to help the business owners who were targeted has raised over £130,000 and continues to grow as the wider community show their love, support and kindness to the victims.  A silver lining. 

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The beach at sunrise for a swim

We need silver linings right now, the special moments, the decent kind people, the community.  My planned topic this week is eclipsed for the need of brightness; a positive spin on a very dark week.  Cheery, grateful photos of our land and the goodness that oozes from it. And vitally how impossible our world would be without the international community, the beauty of diversity and the importance of respect, kindness and care for everyone.

There is no place for racism.

Every single shift I eat a croissant, still warm from the oven, with a black coffee. Every single shift I’m momentarily obsessed by the pretty, buttery, flakey layers and the delicious first bite as I look out the window of the bakery to the wakening world. The wagtails and Jackdaw in the yard looking for crumbs, the sunlight on the mountain and the leaves and branches of the sycamore swaying with the morning breeze.

Pizza at Igloo. The food scene on the North Coast can be dubious, with an over reliance on fried food and huge portions taking centre stage. But thankfully there are amazing passionate people like Josh doing delicious things and a casual Pizza of superior quality suits us all very well.

Longer evenings mean the day is stretched so far that a trip to the beach after dinner is very doable. A splashy swim on a quiet shoreline looking out to Rathlin, then home to pyjamas and supper. Heading off to bed with salty hair and sandy toes, the sea air in our lungs.

The kitsch and wonderful amusements, a complete sensory overload, a summer essential! Our annual summer visit when we were children seemed like endless wandering through the arcades and going on the rides. Luckily about an hour seemed enough for the kiddos. Tacky nostalgia!

There’s magic when friends can be together at short notice, serendipity. We meet for a brief drink and essential chats before rushing back to babes for bedtime. The candle is lit for us, we indulge in each others company. We listen, we share, we are revived. And we eat crisps!

The stunningly gorgeous Rhee River where wonderful veg growers Helen and Robert own some land, they are letting wildlife do its own thing here, a natural paradise. They show us around the veg garden and we marvel at the squash, snack on peas and inspect the progress of the cucumbers. We relax in the sun with a beer and talk about other things, being welcomed into the company of good people is precious.

Beaghmore Stone Circles at Lughnasa. It was my first time visiting this incredible ancient site and coincidentally on such a special day in the Celtic year. A strong and powerful energy held us for hours as we picnicked, played amongst the stones and picked Bilberries. I’m still buzzing from the magnetic mystic beauty of this place and can’t wait to go back again.

Let’s end with simple delicious food. A quick dinner of Padron peppers with salt and olive oil and Eweloumi with Rye bread croutons, organic leaves and garden mint.

I hope you’ve been able to find some lightness amidst the dark days of the world news. Look after yourself, be kind xxx