busy as a bee
life’s been busy, busy, busy lately…
easter was a bit of a whirl. we spent it half at home and half in west cork, and visited a friend who was having a bender-warming party. A bender is a temporary dwelling, kind of like a tent/hobbit house/overground cave/garden greenhouse tunnel made out of birch branches and canvas. It was quite snug and warm and comfortable – there were two main parts, one which was the main entrance, cooking area, and bathing (which was an opening on to the stream that flowed beside the bender), and the other part was the living room, with side tables made of horizontal sections of big tree stumps and couches handmade out of wood and foam, and the sleeping area.
The ceiling was made of interlaced birch branches which were bound together in honeycomb patterns with rope, covered with carpet matting for insulation and oiled canvases on the outside for wind and water protection. the innermost layer between the branches and the insulation was made out of indian blankets and spreads with lots of colour, gold embroidery and patterns. The floor was made of layers of reeds to keep it from getting wet, and lots and lots of sheeps wool to keep it warm. again, canvas over the whole lot to make a solid floor. there were double-glazed windows all along the bottom two feet of the walls, a giant 4-foot high window on one end by the sleeping area, a cast-iron stove, a cooker, a sink, and very clever counter spaces rigged up with ropes that hung off the branches of the main walls.
I should have taken some pictures, but I was feeling a bit self-conscious as I didn’t know many of the people there. next time we visit, I’ll be sure to take some just because it is something I’d never seen before and it is kind of hard to describe the space and really do it justice. 
This weekend, I am off to a corporate team-building event – the annual Power Challenge. This is an adventure-type event held in Killarney each year, and there are about 20 or 30 teams from all departments and branches of the ESB participating. I’m not really sure what to expect – I am pretty sure that there will be sporty outdoor tasks, partly physical and partly intellectual problem solving. I’m thinking Treasure Hunt meets balance-the-egg-on-the-spoon while orienteering. we will see. should be a good laugh anyway, and an opportunity to bond with my co-workers.
I also have a favour to ask of all of you internet-surfers… would you have a look at this website we are building and give me some feedback? It is mostly functional – you should be able to search for plants, add items to your shopping cart and go through to inputting your details. I’d like feedback on anything you happen to form an opinion about – the look, the logo, the wording of the blurbs, the functionality, anything! Deelish Garden Centre Feel free to post comments here, or if you would like to comment further – feel free to email me at serendipity01@hotmail.com. Thanks!!
