It’s May.
Blue skies and warm days –
time to tidy up the garden!

Hoeing and digging,
brushing and raking,
weeding and planting.

Time to find new life
springing up
in surprising places –
hawthorns among hyacinths,
a tiny oak under a bluebell,
Jacob’s ladder clambering
on a stony bed.
Mysterious pale, bell-shaped flowers
have sprung-up
by our cherry tree
(what will they turn out to be?)

Plants potted, paths tidied
and cups of tea in the sun
as we watch birds feeding
and a wee mouse exploring
a flower bed.

Absolutely perfect –
thank You, Lord!

© Claire Murray, 8th May 2024

Something unusual happens today –
the rain stops!
And not only does the rain stop,
but the sun actually shines …
all … day … long!

So off we go to the Tow Path
at Distillery
for a walk.

It’s a glorious day
and the wildlife seems to be
enjoying the sun
every bit as much
as ourselves.

Bunnies in the long grass
and countless ladybirds
on golden dandelions.
A tiny goldcrest
flits
from twig to twig
above our heads
and robins watch curiously
as we pass.

Wee, tiny, gingerbread-coloured grebes
cry out their startling alarm
before disappearing
beneath the surface
of the Lagan.

Ducks snooze
on the river bank
and a shadow-black mink
basks lazily
on the fork of a fallen tree
by the water’s edge.

And all the while
the Lagan slips by,
its still waters reflecting
a cloudless blue sky.

A day to relax, unwind
and savour the sunshine.
Such a welcome break
from many weeks of rain.
Absolutely perfect –
thank You, Lord!

© Claire Murray, 24th April 2024

As I sit chatting to my friend, Ann,
over a cup of tea,
Ann says something
that intrigues me.
“Every day
I take a wee drink
of Holy Water.”

Hmmm …
this sounds new!

“I like to think of it”, continues Ann,
“as a little drink
for the soul.”

I lean in closer
to hear more.

“Always take it
in the name of The Trinity,”
instructs Ann.

This just makes
so much sense to me.

Then comes the clincher –
“You’ll never drink anything
more powerful!”

Ann sits back in her seat
and calmly drinks
her cup of tea
while I sit opposite her,
my head spinning!

I mention all of this
to Mammy
who is not in the least surprised.
“Oh, I know several people
in Derry,” says Mammy,
“who take Holy Water every day
with their medicine.”

And so I have begun to take
a wee drink of Holy Water
every day –
my very own little drink
for the soul.
I take it in the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost,
as Ann instructed.

(I keep it in the fridge
to keep it fresh!”)

© Claire Murray, 20th April, 2024

When I was wee
I was convinced that I knew
what my soul looked like –
it looked like a wee spool,
the sort that you get
thread on.

My sins would cling to it,
freckling it,
so that it would darken down gradually
over time.

Then,
after the sacrament of Confession,
my soul would be
brilliant, radiant,
like the brightest wee spool
that you’ve ever seen
in your whole life.

Don’t they say,
“Show me the child at seven
and I’ll show you the man”?

Well,
over fifty years later,
as I emerge from Confession
and kneel to say my Penance,
that image of my soul
as a bright, white, wee spool
pops back into my head.
I see it nestled
beside my heart.

And when I finish my Penance,
I ask Jesus to help me
refrain from the sins
that routinely darken my soul …
bit by bit …
day by day.

Because, you see,
I want to keep my soul,
that precious wee spool,
brilliant and white
for longer!

© Claire Murray, 14th April 2024

It’s Mammy’s birthday today
and I’m off to Derry.
Everything I need is ready –
a cake and a card
in the boot
and plans for a birthday lunch
in my head.
Only one thing is missing –
our son
who has had to cancel
at the last minute
because of a bad cold.

As I drive along the Westlink
I think to myself,
“Well, looks like
it’s only me today!”

No sooner has that thought formed
than a realisation dawns –
I’m not on my own.
I have Jesus with me
along with my Guardian Angel.
So, really,
there are three of us in the car
driving to Derry
for Mammy’s birthday.

I smile to myself, relax
and sit back
to enjoy the journey.
(Sure how could I not
enjoy this journey
when I have such
excellent company??)

© Claire Murray, Mammy’s birthday 2024

Recently
we have had builders to the house
but at long last
the builders leave,
the walls dry-out
and it’s finally time
to paint the room.

Paul dons his painting clothes,
dilutes his paint
and the work begins.

All the awkward bits
are painted first –
the corners of the room,
along the ceiling
and along the skirting board.
Everything is going swimmingly.

Then it’s time
for painting the main parts
of the walls.
It doesn’t take long
to apply the first coat.
But as the paint begins to dry,
we can see
that it’s drying unevenly,
giving the wall
a dappled appearance
of white and grey.

Oh dear!

Three days
and several coats of paint later
the wall looks every bit
as patchy as before.

We are hugely disappointed.

I head off to bed
for a snooze
and as I drift off to sleep,
I pray to Saint Joseph.
He was a craftsman,
skilled in carpentry
and resourceful
when work didn’t quite go
according to plan.
Could he help Paul
to sort out the patchy walls?
Please???

Thirty winks later
I dander into the room
to inspect the state of the painting
and there, right before me,
is a perfectly painted wall!
Paul stands beside me, grinning.

“What did you do?” I ask him.
“Nothing!” replied Paul.
“I prayed to Saint Joseph”, I explain.
“So did I!” said Paul.

So there you have it –
Saint Joseph coming to the rescue
to help us out
with painting problems
in our wee house.

Isn’t that wonderful?
And isn’t Saint Joseph wonderful?
(I reckon that Saint Joseph
simply doesn’t get the credit
that he deserves!)

© Claire Murray, Feast of St Joseph, 2024

Life has been hectic for us recently
as building work progresses
at home –
early mornings, busy days,
chaos and noise all around
and decisions, decisions,
decisions!
It’s been non-stop
in our house!

But Saturday dawns
on this spring morning
and off we head
to Tollymore.

Green-tinted waters
of the Shimna River
tumbling by.

A sleek, black raven
silhouetted against a blue sky,
sounds his rumbling call
from a high tree top
before flying away,
his wings whoosh, whoosh,
whooshing
as he passes by.

Gentle winter sun
casting long shadows before us
as we walk
and bathing mountain tops
and tall conifers
in pale sunlight.
No need for jackets today!

A gentle walk
through Tollymore
on this sunny, springtime,
blue-sky day.
Relaxing, refreshing –
the perfect antidote
to the clamour and the chaos
of building work at home.

Thank You, Lord!

© Claire Murray, 24th February 2024

Our family has great cause
for celebration –
it’s Daddy’s 90th birthday
and we all travel to Derry
by car, bus and plane
to join Mammy and Daddy
for the birthday celebrations.

Daddy’s birthday begins
with all of us attending
early morning Mass
in St Eugene’s cathedral
before heading back
to Mammy and Daddy’s
to have cream cookies
for breakfast!

Later on,
lunch in a hotel,
followed by tea, coffee
and birthday cake
(in the shape of a “90”,
of course!)

And, to round up this very special day,
a sing-song at Mammy and Daddy’s flat.
Slow Irish airs played
on the fiddle, mandolin,
flute and guitar
and old favourite songs
sung by all.
Good company,
good music and good craic!

Daddy’s 90th birthday
is a very special day,
marked by two things
that are so important to Daddy –
faith and family.

A real milestone birthday
celebrated by Daddy
surrounded by his family,
with everyone in good form
and in good health.
A truly wonderful and rare blessing.

Thank You, Lord!

© Claire Murray, 2024

Our wee house is cold and chaotic
at the moment
and I can describe it perfectly
in just one wee word –
builders!

We have two builders in
at the moment,
you see.
(Builders are a wee bit
like buses –
you wait for ages
but nobody comes
and then two arrive at once!)

Dust everywhere,
icy air blasting through the house
and the occasional accident
(“No big deal!” grins a builder
but memories lie in smithereens
at his feet).

Tension and anxiety
are definitely in the air.

And off I go to Costa
to meet a good friend
for coffee.
Warm air and a big hug
greet me at the door.

Chat, shared confidences
and a belly-full of laughter –
a lovely wee oasis
of cosiness and happiness
in this cold, chaotic week.

Then a lift home again
and a promise to meet up again
when the builders have left,
the dust has settled
and our wee house is cosy and complete
once more.

Thank You, Lord,
for this wee oasis of cosiness
in the midst of chaos
and for the gift of good friends –
the perfect antidote
to a houseful of builders
(aaaagghhh!)

(c) Claire Murray, 18th January 2024