I’m missing the brilliant New England fall foliage, but there has been plenty to keep my mind occupied. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Friday we saw a triple bill at Tipperary Dance Platform. It is a great little festival full of international talent, live performance, dance films, and classes. The choreographers we saw were from Mexico, Spain, France and the Netherlands. Traveling to see performance is likely to become our new norm – but Ireland is small enough that we can be most anywhere within a few hours.

Hughie started a job at Apple this month. He’s delighted to be using his French skills, and it is a great company to work for. Two words: Health Insurance!!! For both of us.

Gareth has been cutting away at the dead trees and low hanging branches, diligently building up a store of firewood. We borrowed a chainsaw from my in-laws, and they gifted us an axe. The best thing since hammer drills… Our main conclusion is, we need a goat to eat away all the underbrush.

We’ve also made a start on the future library/music room. Wallpaper is coming down, and this weekend will be a bit of a plaster demolition party when friends come down from Wicklow. Any volunteers along the way will be well fed!

Hopefully we will be able to take on more work exchange residents in a few months, so if you’re traveling this spring or summer and want to volunteer a couple of weeks in exchange for living & art-making space, get in touch. We’ve added some new tabs to the website for programs (like the work exchange), events, and photos. It’s still in development, but let us know what you think!

Tomorrow the surveyor comes to take measurements of the house. Soon, we will have drawings we can work from in planning the renovation. I have so many ideas!!!

I picked up some colored pens and a binder to store all of the brochures and magazine clippings I’m gathering. In the coming weeks we will cost out the electric, plumbing/heating, kitchen cabinetry, floor coverings and paint/wallpaper. This will help us determine what is left for the builder. The house has become my full-time job, and I love it.

Meet Fred, Olive, Luther, and Feta. We cat-napped them from Uncle Ollie’s farm, where there is a bit of an overpopulation problem (14 cats!!!).

Fred with Uncle Ollie                      Olive
 
Fred, Luther & Feta                           Feta
 
Fred showed up on the farm, out of the blue, about a year and a half ago. He is incredibly friendly and loves to jump into your arms to be held. He’s also a ferocious hunter. Fred does everything intensely, and I immediately fell in love with him last year.

Our two lovey American cats, Cashel & Spy, don’t go outside. They are finally figuring out the existence of the new cat-pack outside, and aren’t sure what to think.
   

Feta is easiest to photograph since she’ll actually stay still!

Olive was a bit shy for the first two days, but now everyone seems to be adjusting to their new home. Which really is a pretty perfect paradise for a cat.

xo,
Jess