Rain’s one thing, but wind that turns the air into raw, blustery March? It calls for a fire in the sitting room. It’s cozy and comfortable there. Logan and Savanna are sleeping in as they stayed up until about four watching a basketball game—Logan’s team won. When Kayla gets up and around, she’s lost her voice. Since mine’s been whacked on and off for days, I understand her annoyance.

But she looks so much better.

Tea and honey for us.

Kat sits with the doorstop Atlas, searching for sites and activities. If we were golfers, it lists every golf course in Ireland. But no.

We’re not right next door to historic sites here in our corner of Galway, but will scout some out on the way up to Mayo, and again once there. But we do find activities close enough.

But not for this raw, rainy day.

The Switch entertains many, and the view’s dramatic outside the windows. And when the sun peaks out, JR and Kayla go for a walk in the very brisk fresh air. Then out in his new rainbow rain coat goes Griffin with his mom even as the rain returns.

And in our little corner of Galway, it seems many things are also closed on Monday. So off to the market go Kat and Savanna for what I need to make spaghetti.

Kayla and I converse with our whispery voices.

As the rain stops, the sun comes out and the wind blows and blows, I make red sauce, Kat puts together a salad bar. On this changeable day outdoors, it’s nice to have the whole gang gathered inside with various activities and conversations. And it smells really good!

Logan’s requested steaks which he pan fries. That smells good, too. The boy’s a good cook when he decides to cook.

I cut thick slices of French bread, Jason butters and adds the garlic salt—and because that’s how I do it, we sprinkle on a little basil. The oven’s completely foreign to me, but we figure it out. Pasta’s boiling, bread’s broiling. And here’s a big spaghetti/steak dinner for nine.

Griffin’s a big fan of Nana’s spaghetti, and inhales an adult portion before falling asleep against Kat. He stays out through the rest of the meal until JR carries him down to bed. After all, the kid was up at dawn and hasn’t quit all day.

We were going to have cake for a belated birthday celebration for Kat, but Griffin’s out, and the rest of us are stuffed.

Clean up time. Many dishes, many pots and pans. More tea and honey.

The younger set wants to play Monopoly, but until everyone’s back in one place, we have a short game of Hearts in the sitting room.

Time for Monopoly, and no, I am firm on it, I don’t want to play.* Visions of endless games in my childhood lurk. Monopoly is forever! Glaciers melt, land masses form, eons often pass before the end.  This one adds a kick as it’s the Brit version. So it’s Fleet Street and Piccadilly instead of Boardwalk and Park Place.

And I learn, at least for me, this is a game more fun to watch than play. Colt, the novice, jumps into an early lead. Logan tries wheeling and dealing off the jump. Kat recounts the Pong House rules when she was a kid playing with her brothers. The players incorporate a couple.

Logan, land rich, cash poor, gets dinged hard, has to sell off, and is still down to mere dollars. Colt owns the railroads, and they appear to be magnets for the other players. So it goes, round and round, trading, selling, buying, mortgaging.

I go out to pour a drink, and see smoke blowing across the bay, and a fire beyond the trees to, I guess, the north. I alert the troops.

After watching, we decide it’s someone’s barrel fire, but keep an eye on it, just in case.

It burns in that single spot, and finally goes out. So no need for 999.

At the game, JR looks strong, then boom. Reversal of fortunes. Logan makes a come back, then goes bankrupt. Savanna’s been hanging in, nice and steady, but cash and property dribble away, and another bankruptcy.

Kayla’s quietly taken one side of the board. Colt adds hotels. Kayla’s whispery voice is very sinister as she slowly but steadily collects on her properties.

And JR hits one of Colt’s big ones. All gone!

It’s down to the siblings. Colt has a pot full of money, the lion’s share of property, but Kayla’s scrappy and hangs on. Hangs on until I admit defeat. I need my bed. And as I leave, Colt is victorious. The newbie beats the vets.

The sun’s supposed to make an appearance today, and the wind is scheduled to take a bit of a rest. Thanks to Kat’s research we’re off late morning for: A mine, sheep and turf. Not sure what that’ll be like but we’re going. Kayla and I quickly and decisively opt out of going down in a mine. We’ll have sheep, turf and a gift shop. And hopefully some pretty weather.

Gotta go get my workout in, then head up to see what’s doing.

Nora

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Notes from Laura:

*excuse me???? A game someone named Nora will not play???????? I am vindicated.

My last two travelogues are up:

Weekend

Up to the Lakes