This is at the crux of my New Year’s resolutions. It’s actually always in the back of my mind, regarding both creating a daily routine and art-making. Finding balance is, for me, connected to functioning within some sort of structure. But it’s something I struggle with. Especially when that structure is self-imposed. And if the structure is too strict, I get frustrated. Conversely, if I am not self-disciplined enough, I get annoyed with myself. So hopefully this is the year I figure out how to tailor my day-to-day life into a rhythm that works.

November and December disrupted my rhythm. I was busy. The days grew shorter. My sleep pattern was wonky. But lots of great things happened. And other things – like this blog — fell by the wayside. So I’ll use the next few posts to update you all on what went on, and what we’re looking forward to in 2016.

Hughie started working for Apple in October. He’s on a French speaking team in the Fraud Prevention department. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? So far, Apple has been a great company to work for and we both have health insurance, yay! Hughie is delighted to be using his French on a daily basis, though he has had some excessively early mornings, like a 6am shift on Sundays, ugh! We’re looking forward to this changing soon.

Gareth, our writer-in-residence, was working away this autumn, both on the house and on his writing. He removed the plaster in the library and most of the hallway, and submitted stories to a number of publications. Not to mention kept us in “Dirty Coffees” aka instant cappuccinos spiked with Baileys Irish Cream. He recently received word that some of his work will be published in 2016 – congratulations Gareth! We’ll be sure to let you know where you can find it when they come out.

In sad news, we experienced an unexpected tragedy this autumn. Over the course of two weeks, all four of the outdoor cats went missing. We aren’t sure what happened to them – poison? River weasels? Drowning? I was especially devastated to lose Fred, who was always climbing into my arms or perched on my shoulder. The worst part was feeling somehow responsible, putting the cats in unknown danger when we thought we were giving them great life. Cashel & Spy are strictly indoor cats for the time being, especially as we don’t know what the outside cats got into.

We haven’t given up on the animals, though.

We are getting a goat soon. She’s currently accompanying a mare whose her foal was taken away. Their trial separation didn’t go so well, so we’re not sure when exactly we’ll be getting her. She will be so busy keeping down the briars and brambles in the back garden.

The week before Christmas we adopted Elvis, a 5-month old English Setter. He is gorgeous and has amazing hunting instincts. He goes nuts for the birds, and is constantly pointing on our walks. He is also a total klutz and cuddle bug, so keeps us laughing. He has an enormous amount of energy and I’ve been taking him on hour-long walks up Glenbower Wood when the weather is decent. I think the wood is even more beautiful in winter when you can see the sculptural silhouettes of the trees.

Adding Elvis to our family has been a great way to find a new rhythm for 2016 (though the cats are not impressed.) Getting up to let him out keeps me from sleeping in, and daily walks make sure I get some fresh air and exercise. I’m hoping 2016 is the year I add meditation and morning pages (a daily free-write from the book The Artist’s Way) to my weekly routine. I’m also trying to jot down something I’m grateful for each day. And I might even be learning not to be too hard on myself!

What do you hope your 2016 rhythm is like?

xo,
Jess

Where has January gone already?!? And November and December for that matter…

Apologies for the radio silence in the final months of 2015. This week I will try to recap what you missed and share some of our plans for the new year.

We also want to know what YOU want to hear more about. Of course we will keep you updated on progress of the house and residency, but if there’s something else you’d like to hear about, let us know in the comments. Maybe the arts scene in Ireland? The people in our village? Our day to day lives? Objects from the house? A tour of Glenbower Wood? More photos? More recipes? Do you like posts that are shorter, but more frequent? Or do you prefer to read something more substantial less often?

Last week, New York Magazine published an article about Cork in their travel section. So many of the spots they mention are easily accessible from here, as if you needed any more incentive to visit!

We LOVE the Greenroom at Sage in Midleton. It’s a favorite stop for a coffee or a craft cider and lunch, and as much as possible of their food comes from within a 12-mile radius. Farmgate rocks, too. Both restaurants are just 15 minutes away.

Ballymaloe, Ireland’s famous cooking school and restaurant, is about 20 minutes away (and we got a gift voucher for Christmas, wahoo!)  We also received a voucher for Elbow Lane Brew & Smokehouse in Cork city and I can’t wait to try it. Cork city is only 40 minutes away, and we are right on the bus line. The English Market is overwhelming, packed to the brim with stalls of delicious, fresh food.

We were delighted that NY Mag mentioned Glenbower Wood:
A visit to Glenbower Woods, situated in the village of Killeagh in East Cork, is definitely worth the trip. Every spring, these woodlands are scented with the distinctive smell of wild garlic as the waxy leaves and white belled flowers burst from the hedgerows. It’s a forager’s dream.

The wood is literally steps outside our door. We walk the dog there almost daily but didn’t know about the garlic. Between the wood and our proximity to the beach (about 15 min), we are thinking we may be able to build in foraging trips as part of some workshops or programming. Wouldn’t that be cool?

 

Graph paper is my friend! I’ve been spending a lot of time figuring out potential ground floor layouts for the house. We want to avoid a lot of structural changes to keep costs down, so the focus has been on flow and function. With our double use – home and artist’s residency – it’s important that rooms are multi-functional, and that there is a clear concept of private and public space.

For instance, the kitchen and sitting room will be our personal home, while the dining room and library will be multi-purpose shared spaces. We see the library as also being a music room. Depending on who is in residence it could be a quiet reading, writing or reflecting space, or it could be a cozy place for a band to compose and collaborate. The dining room, while fulfilling my dreams of dinner parties, will also serve as a meeting room or classroom. I’d love to find one of those vintage school blackboards on wheels to keep in there. It’s also the dining room for groups or retreats with a meal package. We are planning to have a kitchenette for self-catering guests, too.

I thought I’d share some of my sketches with you. The kitchen planing has been the most intense! I’ve had to get pretty detailed on appliances and design in order to determine our budget for the space. I’ve really enjoyed it!

Kitchen:
  

Sitting Room:

Dining Room:
Last week the surveyors were here. It was fascinating to watch them take measurements with their instruments. It took three and a half days to plot all of the points! Next, those go into a computer program and essentially they connect the dots to make an accurate plan of the house. I’ll share some of the blueprints when we get them.

What do you think of our plans? Nothing is set in stone (except, literally, the walls) and we’d love your feedback. Share your ideas & suggestions in the comments!