Well, well, well 'tis all but four weeks since I was here last - I'm duly shamed and ashamed and it is ironic, I guess, that it is during this period of silence that these pages became a year old.

But it has been a busy, busy month and I suppose, considering the way things are in dear old Ireland at present, it is grand to be able to report that it has been so.

If it wasn't the building of the 'small kitchen' - last seen in the workshop............

…...........here in the process of being installed, it was the 'family get-together' of 6 / 7 November surrounding the launch of Naoise's (and John McGuinness's) book.............

................when amongst many things we went walking in Dysart and picked beautiful fresh watercress from a natural bed that lies just beside the castle...........

to go with a Nore salmon that Dylan and I had gutted earlier that morning.

And then, the following weekend, a further visit from Naoise - this time with Paddy Cullivan (Clint Velour of the Camembert Quartet) - surrounding the 'Kilkenomics Festival'.

The next week had me franticly fitting and painting the 'small kitchen' as my esteemed client (who is also a neighbour and friend) was due back from his travels mid-week.

Mercifully his return was delayed by a day or two: had it not been, he would have caught me, in panic mode, failing to reach the finishing-post in time!

It was completed and ready on the Friday night, just twelve hours before his arrival!
(I have admitted previously that I am a crisis worker – nothing has changed!).

You may ask why I did not use that weekend to report here but I had a further promise to keep.
As we were off to Thezan the following Friday, I had resolved (promised) that I would use the time to do the pre-Christmas top-to-toe (or is it top-to-tail?) clean of the house before we left.

And, of course, there has been the matter of trying to manage Ireland's economy throughout the period!

But, here we are in Thezan where, for the first time, I am just as a guest, not a guest cum workhorse.

Martin and Sile and their chambre d'hôte, Le Presbytere, have now just about completed their first season and indeed on our fist night, they had guests so we saw them in operation and shared the full experience of their offering.
And I have to say that it was (is) just wonderful, every aspect of it.

Their dream, Martin's in particular, has come true and all their ideas, plans, decisions, risks taken, costs, not to mention the work, have been more than vindicated and I plan to purr my way through a week of relaxation in Thezan in a building that I know in fine and minute detail!

Pictures will follow over the coming days.

OK so this entry is a bit of a muddle but that accurately represents what the month of November has been.

But at least I am back, it's good to be so and I won't desert you again!