Days were flying by and Cailin was now busier than she had planned with trying to make arrangements for the upcoming wedding and manage her research work, and now this new venture of women's meetings. The first few were small, but as news about this group spread from each of those attending, the group was now at 15 young women. They came from all walks of life, mostly professional, some para-professional but nonetheless, a nice group of women. There were times when a smaller group would decide to get together for dinner or drinks, feeling strength in numbers at a bar. Other times, the whole group would meet for a day's outing. They decided as a group to call themselves “Girls On The Town” (GOTT) to show their independent strength. One of the girls worked in a fabric shop and did a lot of sewing. At one meeting she brought all the girls pretty red and white printed satin scarves that matched. It would identify them as the group. She had appliqued in the GOTT initials in each scarf.
Darren was busy most evenings now with some fund raisers he was organizing and Cailin had convinced the group to have one of their evenings out at a festival in the park. Not only could Cailin be with Darren when he was working, but she was able to introduce some of the girls to the musicians that were performing that night. The girls loved that and as a group all donated a nice amount to the hospital charity in the group name. They loved it when Darren got up on stage to announce that the group Girls On The Town donated to the charity identifying them as the girls with the red and white scarves. The girls all proudly smiled and giggled with the recognition as they were acknowledged.
At one of their meetings Cailin brought up the idea of choosing a charity to support. They could even choose a different charity each year. Emily, one of the members told about the hospice where she worked and they all agreed that would be the first organization they would help. Each of the girls had an assignment. Cailin stayed in the background as the group organizer and let the girls take the lead. Before she knew it there was an article in the Derry Journal about GOTT and how they were raising fund for this hospice.
The girls had decided to band together and make a quilt for the hospice to hang in their entryway. Funds would be raised by purchasing a square in the quilt with recognition in the square as a donor. Rebecca, who worked in the fabric shop and had made the scarves agreed to sew the majority of the quilt and help teach others how to make some of the squares.
Between their contacts and hard work, their first fund raiser was a success. The hospice used the money to purchase new furniture for the great room that was used when families came to visit. Until then it was all hand me downs. They were also able to afford to paint the room and give it a nice fresh welcoming look with the quilt hanging on the wall of the room instead of the entryway.
After Cailin told Darren what they had done, Darren offered a partnership between the hospital and GOTT. The hospital would provide marketing and publicity and GOTT could help with fund raising efforts for the hospital. Cailin took this idea to the group. Since most all of them had been to the festival, they agreed that this partnership would work out wonderfully. Cailin had made some new friends and was now feeling more a part of the Derry community.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Travels in Eire #68
Cailin got to work on her plan. First she needed to find a location for young women to be able to get together, and a purpose for the social meetings. The flat that she lived in had a nice sized parlor on the first floor that was barely ever used. She talked to the owner who lived on the first floor across from the parlor, and asked if she could have some friends over on occasion to visit. She keep the whole idea to herself not knowing if this would work for sure.
Then she started designing a flier to attract young professional women who were looking to connect with other women for social evenings and some charity work. No sense in wasting all this talent on just socializing, and Cailin could see the possibility of tying this in with some of what Darren might be doing.
Cailin started leaving her first set of fliers at a coffee shop down the street from her flat for a meeting that following Thursday after work. She really didn't expect to have many women attend but hoped someone would be there. She chose a Thursday as payday was on Friday and everyone, including herself and Darren, often went to a local pub on Friday.
Cailin didn't want to be serving a lot so she settled on tea and cookies and called the group “Tea and Talk” for lack of any better name. With everything set up in the parlor – she figured she could always make more tea, or bring more cookies from her flat if needed – she waited for 6:00PM to arrive and see if there were any takers.
6:05....6:10.....6:15.....and then there was a knock at the front door.
“Is this the Tea and Talk place?” came the question from a young woman standing at the door.
“Yes, it is,” responded Cailn enthusiastically. “Please come in. My name is Cailin. I'm so glad you decided to come.”
“Wait, you sound American. What kind of group is this? Oh, I'm Aislin.” the girl replied.
“Aislin, yes, I'm Irish American. I'll explain everything once we sit down. I was hoping there would be a few more women here.” Cailin's disappointment was obvious.
“My friend Riley is supposed to be coming too. I don't know what has held her up. Let me give her a call.” Aislin could sense Cailin's disappointment and was trying to help.
After a few minutes there was another knock at the door and Riley joined Cailin and Aislin.
The three of them sat down in the parlor and Cailin explained the reason for the flier. Aislin and Riley were immediately intrigued. They agreed that they would like to enlarge their network of friends as both of them had just moved to Derry for work and didn't know that many people yet. The two girls were so excited to have an American friend also, even though Caiin was Irish now, to them she would always be American. After about an hour they agreed to get together again the following Thursday and see if they each could bring along another friend. They had lots of ideas of other women they worked with who were looking for the same friendship experience.
When Cailin closed the door behind the girls as they left, she smiled. Maybe this would work after all. Now she needed a better plan for the group and a better name. She hoped to have all that done by the following Thursday. She cleaned up the parlor and headed up to her flat as her cell rang. Darren was on his way over. What did she have on hand for dinner? And she laughed out loud.
Then she started designing a flier to attract young professional women who were looking to connect with other women for social evenings and some charity work. No sense in wasting all this talent on just socializing, and Cailin could see the possibility of tying this in with some of what Darren might be doing.
Cailin started leaving her first set of fliers at a coffee shop down the street from her flat for a meeting that following Thursday after work. She really didn't expect to have many women attend but hoped someone would be there. She chose a Thursday as payday was on Friday and everyone, including herself and Darren, often went to a local pub on Friday.
Cailin didn't want to be serving a lot so she settled on tea and cookies and called the group “Tea and Talk” for lack of any better name. With everything set up in the parlor – she figured she could always make more tea, or bring more cookies from her flat if needed – she waited for 6:00PM to arrive and see if there were any takers.
6:05....6:10.....6:15.....and then there was a knock at the front door.
“Is this the Tea and Talk place?” came the question from a young woman standing at the door.
“Yes, it is,” responded Cailn enthusiastically. “Please come in. My name is Cailin. I'm so glad you decided to come.”
“Wait, you sound American. What kind of group is this? Oh, I'm Aislin.” the girl replied.
“Aislin, yes, I'm Irish American. I'll explain everything once we sit down. I was hoping there would be a few more women here.” Cailin's disappointment was obvious.
“My friend Riley is supposed to be coming too. I don't know what has held her up. Let me give her a call.” Aislin could sense Cailin's disappointment and was trying to help.
After a few minutes there was another knock at the door and Riley joined Cailin and Aislin.
The three of them sat down in the parlor and Cailin explained the reason for the flier. Aislin and Riley were immediately intrigued. They agreed that they would like to enlarge their network of friends as both of them had just moved to Derry for work and didn't know that many people yet. The two girls were so excited to have an American friend also, even though Caiin was Irish now, to them she would always be American. After about an hour they agreed to get together again the following Thursday and see if they each could bring along another friend. They had lots of ideas of other women they worked with who were looking for the same friendship experience.
When Cailin closed the door behind the girls as they left, she smiled. Maybe this would work after all. Now she needed a better plan for the group and a better name. She hoped to have all that done by the following Thursday. She cleaned up the parlor and headed up to her flat as her cell rang. Darren was on his way over. What did she have on hand for dinner? And she laughed out loud.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Travels in Eire #67
The long weekend ended and Cailin and Darren headed back to Ireland after a trip to Cailin's office where everyone who was not at the party could meet Darren. Rob, Cailin's boss, took the couple out to lunch and interspersed work talk with social talk. He was pretty blunt about making sure he would be invited to the wedding. It would be a great excuse to come to Ireland for future prospects for the company, he mused.
The couple left Rob and headed back to the house to finish packing and get ready to head to the airport for the evening flight to Dublin. Cailin could see that her parents were already suffering from the ensuing separation, so she tried to keep the mood as light as possible.
“Mom, before you know it you will be the one packing to come over to Ireland. Now mind how heavy your bags are. Can't have dad lugging bags for you and gran.” Cailin smiled at her mother.
“And you are more than welcome to come and visit anytime. My parents would love to have you visit them, even though it's not very near to Derry. They would welcome some American visitors so they can take you to church and introduce you to their friends.” Darren wanted to be encouraging also.
“You two have got to stop this. We'll be there in plenty of time for the wedding and be able to visit with both of you and Darren's parents. We just will miss you so much,” Mary was trying to hold back tears.
“Then mom, we'll be doing Skype so we can see each other,” Cailin looked at Sean for some fatherly help.
“The taxi is here and you two need to head off to the airport. Your mum and me will be starting to make our list for our trip tomorrow. Before you know it we'll be pestering you all over again.” Sean smiled as the two headed for the door.
And with that Darren and Cailin headed back to Ireland to work and finish planing their wedding. With an uneventful flight and the bus ride back to Derry, both of them were exhausted for the next day's work. Cailin had the option of taking an easy day since she had just been in her office, but Darren was going to have to run on fumes. Another charity concert was in the works and he would be very busy until just after it ended.
With Ruth back in the United States, Cailin realized that she really didn't have any friends other than the acquaintances she had me through Darren. And with the hours that Darren kept during charity event time, he was barely home from work. Cailin decided it was time for her to get out on her own in Derry and meet some new female friends. Just how she was going to do this posed another problem.
Cailin's skill as a researcher was put to work here in Ireland. She found some volunteer opportunities with a conservation organization that allowed her some outdoor time and a chance to do some gardening while she was at it. Cailin's thinking was that if she got out and participated in some of the local activities, she would have the chance to meet more people and possibly connect with some women her own age. Finishing work early because of her US connection, she had some time to devote to this project. There were random assignments and locations and not very many young women.
This was not going to be as simple as Cailin had thought it would be. She needed some female friendships and could not always depend on Darren to be there for her. Over a short period of time Cailin realized that there was no easy way to meet new friends in Derry and hanging out at the pubs as a single woman was not a great idea either. Very slowly an idea crept into her head that she felt might work. And as this idea formulated in her mind she started to take action on it.
The couple left Rob and headed back to the house to finish packing and get ready to head to the airport for the evening flight to Dublin. Cailin could see that her parents were already suffering from the ensuing separation, so she tried to keep the mood as light as possible.
“Mom, before you know it you will be the one packing to come over to Ireland. Now mind how heavy your bags are. Can't have dad lugging bags for you and gran.” Cailin smiled at her mother.
“And you are more than welcome to come and visit anytime. My parents would love to have you visit them, even though it's not very near to Derry. They would welcome some American visitors so they can take you to church and introduce you to their friends.” Darren wanted to be encouraging also.
“You two have got to stop this. We'll be there in plenty of time for the wedding and be able to visit with both of you and Darren's parents. We just will miss you so much,” Mary was trying to hold back tears.
“Then mom, we'll be doing Skype so we can see each other,” Cailin looked at Sean for some fatherly help.
“The taxi is here and you two need to head off to the airport. Your mum and me will be starting to make our list for our trip tomorrow. Before you know it we'll be pestering you all over again.” Sean smiled as the two headed for the door.
And with that Darren and Cailin headed back to Ireland to work and finish planing their wedding. With an uneventful flight and the bus ride back to Derry, both of them were exhausted for the next day's work. Cailin had the option of taking an easy day since she had just been in her office, but Darren was going to have to run on fumes. Another charity concert was in the works and he would be very busy until just after it ended.
With Ruth back in the United States, Cailin realized that she really didn't have any friends other than the acquaintances she had me through Darren. And with the hours that Darren kept during charity event time, he was barely home from work. Cailin decided it was time for her to get out on her own in Derry and meet some new female friends. Just how she was going to do this posed another problem.
Cailin's skill as a researcher was put to work here in Ireland. She found some volunteer opportunities with a conservation organization that allowed her some outdoor time and a chance to do some gardening while she was at it. Cailin's thinking was that if she got out and participated in some of the local activities, she would have the chance to meet more people and possibly connect with some women her own age. Finishing work early because of her US connection, she had some time to devote to this project. There were random assignments and locations and not very many young women.
This was not going to be as simple as Cailin had thought it would be. She needed some female friendships and could not always depend on Darren to be there for her. Over a short period of time Cailin realized that there was no easy way to meet new friends in Derry and hanging out at the pubs as a single woman was not a great idea either. Very slowly an idea crept into her head that she felt might work. And as this idea formulated in her mind she started to take action on it.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Travels in Eire #66
Cailin rushed into the house to see he father and Darren sitting in the living room enjoying a cold Guinness.
“What's going on?” she shouted looking at both of them. “Dad what were you doing playing snooker. You know how mom feels about that.” Cailin was visibly shaken about this. She worried around money being lost foolishly.
Darren started first, “Cailin, you should have seen your dad. He was as good as any pro I've ever seen.”
“And.....” Cailin wanted answers.
“Sweetie,” her father always called her that, “I did fine. No losses this time.”
“Sean, what do you mean, you did fine? You blew the opposition away! You were the big winner for the day!” Darren couldn't contain his excitement.
“So dad, big day, you won a hundred bucks?” Cailin was now curious since Darren was making such a fuss. She new the guys at the pub didn't bet much as a rule.
“Cailin, let's put it this way. I have now taken care of 2 round trip flights to Ireland for your wedding for you mom and I.” Sean answered smiling at his daughter.
“ARRGH.... you two drive me nuts. Did you actually do any sightseeing?” Cailin asked.
“We took a quick trip to Times Square and the Empire State building. I'm hoping we can take a quick trip to the Statue of Liberty tomorrow since we leave on Monday,” and there was that smile from Darren.
Cailin smiled back and nodded. They only had limited time on this trip and Monday she needed to get into work for a couple of hours before their evening flight back to Ireland.
The evening was a quiet one spent with family. After dinner Darren and Cailin took a walk around the neighborhood. They spent a lot of time talking about wedding plans and plans for both their futures. This was actually the first serious talking they had done in a long time.
“Cailin, aren't you going to miss being here in New York?” Darren asked. “I would hate for you to make the decision to permanently move to Ireland and regret it later. You know I won't leave there except for vacations.”
“Darren, I'm an Irish citizen now, or almost as soon as the paperwork comes through. The one thing is that I have always felt so at home in Ireland. For me New York is the place to visit now. I will miss my parents, but they are only a flight away.” Cailin tightened her hold on Darren's waist as they walked to reassure him.
“Cailn, we have never talked about children. You do want children, don't you?” Darren almost seemed hesitant in asking.
“Darren, I hope you are not planning on children immediately after the wedding. Yes, I want children, but I do hope we have some time to just be together before we start our family.” Cailin was hoping that Darren would agree with her.
“Of course, I don't want to rush. Just checking here,” and Darren smiled back. “You know we are going to have to find a new place to live, right?”
“I think my place is just fine. You should permanently move in with me – after the wedding though!” Cailin teased back since Darren was almost already moved in to her place. “At least we can live there for a while.”
“I hope you don't mind that you will probably be earning more than I do.” Darren seemed a little embarrassed at this statement.
“Darren, it will be both our money. I was never concerned about how much you earn. Your work is so important. It's getting late. Let's head back to the house.”
The two of them were almost back to the stoop of the house when they saw a figure sitting on the steps. Cailin immediately tensed. It was Nick. Darren saw that it was Nick at the same time, and held Cailin a little tighter to make her feel secure.
“Hey there Nick, buddy!” Darren shouted as they neared the stoop.
Nick stood with a big smile on his face. “I'm so glad I caught up with you guys before you went back to Ireland.”
Cailin was not happy to be seeing Nick, but didn't want to cause a scene outside of her parents. “What can we do for you Nick?” she asked curtly.
“Cailin, baby, I know you were hurt when I dumped you, but I think it was the right thing for both of us.” Nick started his speech. “I can see you found the guy who is just right for your temperament.”
Once again Nick was trying to cover, but before Cailin could comment back to Nick, Darren stopped her.
“Nick, my man, you have no idea. She's a handful, but I'm more than up to the challenge. And she's good enough to put up with me too! I can't imagine being with anyone else.” and he turned and smiled at Cailin.
“I just wanted to stop by and apologize for passing out at your party. Guess Darren here is used to pounding them down more than me.” It was difficult for Nick to admit defeat, but he did.
“No problem Nick. It was great craic. Now we've got to get going. Time's running short,” Darren whisked Cailin up the stairs to the front door, and left Nick staring into blank space wondering what just had happened.
Cailin and Darren held their laughter until they were inside the door and out of earshot of Nick. He had been had once again.
“What's going on?” she shouted looking at both of them. “Dad what were you doing playing snooker. You know how mom feels about that.” Cailin was visibly shaken about this. She worried around money being lost foolishly.
Darren started first, “Cailin, you should have seen your dad. He was as good as any pro I've ever seen.”
“And.....” Cailin wanted answers.
“Sweetie,” her father always called her that, “I did fine. No losses this time.”
“Sean, what do you mean, you did fine? You blew the opposition away! You were the big winner for the day!” Darren couldn't contain his excitement.
“So dad, big day, you won a hundred bucks?” Cailin was now curious since Darren was making such a fuss. She new the guys at the pub didn't bet much as a rule.
“Cailin, let's put it this way. I have now taken care of 2 round trip flights to Ireland for your wedding for you mom and I.” Sean answered smiling at his daughter.
“ARRGH.... you two drive me nuts. Did you actually do any sightseeing?” Cailin asked.
“We took a quick trip to Times Square and the Empire State building. I'm hoping we can take a quick trip to the Statue of Liberty tomorrow since we leave on Monday,” and there was that smile from Darren.
Cailin smiled back and nodded. They only had limited time on this trip and Monday she needed to get into work for a couple of hours before their evening flight back to Ireland.
The evening was a quiet one spent with family. After dinner Darren and Cailin took a walk around the neighborhood. They spent a lot of time talking about wedding plans and plans for both their futures. This was actually the first serious talking they had done in a long time.
“Cailin, aren't you going to miss being here in New York?” Darren asked. “I would hate for you to make the decision to permanently move to Ireland and regret it later. You know I won't leave there except for vacations.”
“Darren, I'm an Irish citizen now, or almost as soon as the paperwork comes through. The one thing is that I have always felt so at home in Ireland. For me New York is the place to visit now. I will miss my parents, but they are only a flight away.” Cailin tightened her hold on Darren's waist as they walked to reassure him.
“Cailn, we have never talked about children. You do want children, don't you?” Darren almost seemed hesitant in asking.
“Darren, I hope you are not planning on children immediately after the wedding. Yes, I want children, but I do hope we have some time to just be together before we start our family.” Cailin was hoping that Darren would agree with her.
“Of course, I don't want to rush. Just checking here,” and Darren smiled back. “You know we are going to have to find a new place to live, right?”
“I think my place is just fine. You should permanently move in with me – after the wedding though!” Cailin teased back since Darren was almost already moved in to her place. “At least we can live there for a while.”
“I hope you don't mind that you will probably be earning more than I do.” Darren seemed a little embarrassed at this statement.
“Darren, it will be both our money. I was never concerned about how much you earn. Your work is so important. It's getting late. Let's head back to the house.”
The two of them were almost back to the stoop of the house when they saw a figure sitting on the steps. Cailin immediately tensed. It was Nick. Darren saw that it was Nick at the same time, and held Cailin a little tighter to make her feel secure.
“Hey there Nick, buddy!” Darren shouted as they neared the stoop.
Nick stood with a big smile on his face. “I'm so glad I caught up with you guys before you went back to Ireland.”
Cailin was not happy to be seeing Nick, but didn't want to cause a scene outside of her parents. “What can we do for you Nick?” she asked curtly.
“Cailin, baby, I know you were hurt when I dumped you, but I think it was the right thing for both of us.” Nick started his speech. “I can see you found the guy who is just right for your temperament.”
Once again Nick was trying to cover, but before Cailin could comment back to Nick, Darren stopped her.
“Nick, my man, you have no idea. She's a handful, but I'm more than up to the challenge. And she's good enough to put up with me too! I can't imagine being with anyone else.” and he turned and smiled at Cailin.
“I just wanted to stop by and apologize for passing out at your party. Guess Darren here is used to pounding them down more than me.” It was difficult for Nick to admit defeat, but he did.
“No problem Nick. It was great craic. Now we've got to get going. Time's running short,” Darren whisked Cailin up the stairs to the front door, and left Nick staring into blank space wondering what just had happened.
Cailin and Darren held their laughter until they were inside the door and out of earshot of Nick. He had been had once again.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Travels in Eire #65
Ruth and Cailin had been texting back and forth since Cailin arrived from Ireland. Cailin didn't want to spend an exorbitant amount for her wedding dress and Ruth found the perfect place for them to shop. It was called The Bridal Garden. They gowns were donated from famous designers, all one of a kind and heavily discounted. All proceeds from the sales went to benefit charities supporting children in New York City. This was exactly the kind of thing that appealed to Cailin.
After a quick breakfast with Darren, Cailin headed out. Sean, Cailin's dad, had taken such a liking to Darren that he decided to venture out and take Darren sightseeing. This was a rarity for Sean as he hated to be the tour guide. Who knew where the two of them would end up. But Cailin was happy for this time they had to get to know each other.
Cailin hopped the subway to 23rd Street and walked the couple of blocks to 21st Street to find the shop. She found Ruth out front peering into the window.
“Can't wait till it's my turn to do this,” Ruth commented as Cailin came up beside her.
The two girls walked into the shop and it was only a moment till they were searching through designer gowns and “oohing” and “awwing” as they giggled and laughed. Ruth and Cailin agreed on two very different gowns for Cailin to try on. One was very simply stated, but elegant, the other more romantic. The simple one was a beautiful white satin that draped softly over Cailin's body. It was not fitted, and puddled at the floor. Caiin had pulled her long black curly hair up for today. This way the dress looked very sophisticated. Ruth snapped a quick photo with her phone, so Cailin would have a reference later. Then Cailin put the second dress on. When she came out of the dressing room Ruth's mouth dropped open.
“Cailin, put your hair down,” she commanded. Ruth stood up and walked around the pedestal that Caiin was perched on. “Oh, my bejeezus!” she squealed, “I'm without words. You look like you just walked out of a romantic fairy tale. Cailin, this is the most beautiful gown I've ever seen on anyone. And with your hair down it's just so darn amazing. ”
The gown was not pure white but just off white making it look slightly aged. It was a combination of lace and satin with a five foot train. The bodice was cinched in to show Cailin's small midriff. It just flared out enough to flow as she walked. The neckline was an open sweetheart design so Cailin could wear her Connemara heart and it would be seen.
While they had been chatting the sales lady came by and placed a veil on Cailin's head. With her hair down she could not wear something that poofed at the back of her head. This was a small tiara type headband with a long lace-edged veil that met the hem of the dress. When Cailin took a look in the mirror she couldn't believe what she saw. Tears started to flow down her cheeks. Happy tears, but tears, nonetheless. Ruth noticed and was immediately at her side blotting the tears.
“Can't soil this dress before the wedding now, can we?” as she stepped back and nodded. “So have we found the perfect dress?”
Cailin could barely speak so she nodded and smiled.
“Then it's time to tea for us girls. Get this paid for and let's go find a nice cuppa.” Ruth was always ready for a good cup of tea.
Cailin took care of purchasing the dress and veil. She'd have it sent to her parents and they would bring it back to Ireland for the wedding, and the two girls headed off to a small cafe a few blocks away. On the way Cailin called Darren to see how things were going between Darren and her dad. When he answered she could barely hear him because of all the background noise.
“Darren, where are you and dad?” Cailn asked.
“Cailin, amazing thing. I didn't know your dad played snooker!” Darren was shouting into his phone.
“Oh no! He didn't!” Cailin shouted back. “Put my dad on the phone,” Cailin yelled.
“Can't honey, he's in the middle of a heated game. Gotta go, talk to you later,” and then the phone clicked off.
Cailin knew how much her dad loved snooker and would consider a stop at a pub for a “quick” game if he had the chance. There was also a lot of betting that went on during these games, and Cailin had known her dad to lose quite a few dollars in a night. And now Darren was there with him. She could smell trouble brewing just as she and Ruth ordered their brewed tea. But there was nothing she could do.
Ruth was full of news about her move with her sister Joyce to New York City. They had played a few gigs, and were getting ready to perform as a first act to a larger touring group. Cailin was hoping that their schedule would allow Ruth to return to Ireland for the wedding, but with the tour, it looked like it was not going to be possible. After a chat, some tea and sandwiches, they parted and Cailin headed back home, never knowing what to expect.
After a quick breakfast with Darren, Cailin headed out. Sean, Cailin's dad, had taken such a liking to Darren that he decided to venture out and take Darren sightseeing. This was a rarity for Sean as he hated to be the tour guide. Who knew where the two of them would end up. But Cailin was happy for this time they had to get to know each other.
Cailin hopped the subway to 23rd Street and walked the couple of blocks to 21st Street to find the shop. She found Ruth out front peering into the window.
“Can't wait till it's my turn to do this,” Ruth commented as Cailin came up beside her.
The two girls walked into the shop and it was only a moment till they were searching through designer gowns and “oohing” and “awwing” as they giggled and laughed. Ruth and Cailin agreed on two very different gowns for Cailin to try on. One was very simply stated, but elegant, the other more romantic. The simple one was a beautiful white satin that draped softly over Cailin's body. It was not fitted, and puddled at the floor. Caiin had pulled her long black curly hair up for today. This way the dress looked very sophisticated. Ruth snapped a quick photo with her phone, so Cailin would have a reference later. Then Cailin put the second dress on. When she came out of the dressing room Ruth's mouth dropped open.
“Cailin, put your hair down,” she commanded. Ruth stood up and walked around the pedestal that Caiin was perched on. “Oh, my bejeezus!” she squealed, “I'm without words. You look like you just walked out of a romantic fairy tale. Cailin, this is the most beautiful gown I've ever seen on anyone. And with your hair down it's just so darn amazing. ”
The gown was not pure white but just off white making it look slightly aged. It was a combination of lace and satin with a five foot train. The bodice was cinched in to show Cailin's small midriff. It just flared out enough to flow as she walked. The neckline was an open sweetheart design so Cailin could wear her Connemara heart and it would be seen.
While they had been chatting the sales lady came by and placed a veil on Cailin's head. With her hair down she could not wear something that poofed at the back of her head. This was a small tiara type headband with a long lace-edged veil that met the hem of the dress. When Cailin took a look in the mirror she couldn't believe what she saw. Tears started to flow down her cheeks. Happy tears, but tears, nonetheless. Ruth noticed and was immediately at her side blotting the tears.
“Can't soil this dress before the wedding now, can we?” as she stepped back and nodded. “So have we found the perfect dress?”
Cailin could barely speak so she nodded and smiled.
“Then it's time to tea for us girls. Get this paid for and let's go find a nice cuppa.” Ruth was always ready for a good cup of tea.
Cailin took care of purchasing the dress and veil. She'd have it sent to her parents and they would bring it back to Ireland for the wedding, and the two girls headed off to a small cafe a few blocks away. On the way Cailin called Darren to see how things were going between Darren and her dad. When he answered she could barely hear him because of all the background noise.
“Darren, where are you and dad?” Cailn asked.
“Cailin, amazing thing. I didn't know your dad played snooker!” Darren was shouting into his phone.
“Oh no! He didn't!” Cailin shouted back. “Put my dad on the phone,” Cailin yelled.
“Can't honey, he's in the middle of a heated game. Gotta go, talk to you later,” and then the phone clicked off.
Cailin knew how much her dad loved snooker and would consider a stop at a pub for a “quick” game if he had the chance. There was also a lot of betting that went on during these games, and Cailin had known her dad to lose quite a few dollars in a night. And now Darren was there with him. She could smell trouble brewing just as she and Ruth ordered their brewed tea. But there was nothing she could do.
Ruth was full of news about her move with her sister Joyce to New York City. They had played a few gigs, and were getting ready to perform as a first act to a larger touring group. Cailin was hoping that their schedule would allow Ruth to return to Ireland for the wedding, but with the tour, it looked like it was not going to be possible. After a chat, some tea and sandwiches, they parted and Cailin headed back home, never knowing what to expect.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
INFORMATIONAL POST
For anyone who stumbles across this and wants to read the story from the beginning, you must go back in the archives to November of 2009 for Chapter 1. Hope you enjoy reading this. :)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Travels in Eire #64
Cailin and Darren were pretty much attached to each other as the evening began. This was mostly so that Cailin could introduce Darren to the friends and relatives and help him remember who he had met along the way. There was no question that Darren was a charmer. Everyone loved his Irish accent and wonderful smile. He could be selling Irish dirt and everyone would be buying! As Darren felt more relaxed he and Cailin moved around the room separately.
It could have been the drinks, or just the casual atmosphere but Cailin was really enjoying herself. She had been so tense about this party, but everything was going just perfect.
That was until Shannon arrived at the party. Shannon was a friend from the office, but Cailin didn't know that she had been invited. Bonnie, her co-worker, and Rob, her boss, were at the party and neither had said anything about Shannon attending. Unfortunately Shannon was not alone, and it appeared that she had been doing some drinking before she arrived. Shannon, evidently, was crashing the party with none other than Nick!
Cailin's relaxed feeling suddenly turned to panic as she searched across the room for Darren. Darren saw her and immediately headed over to where she was.
“What's the matter Cailin?” Darren asked as he reached Cailin and noticed her color had turned ashen.
“He ruins everything,” is all Cailin could respond.
Darren immediately picked up on what was going on as Nick approached the two of them.
“Well Cailin, sweetie, I just couldn't let this party happen without me.” Nick leaned over to grab Cailin and was met with a strong arm on the shoulder that stopped him in his tracks.
“So you're the one who threw her away for me to find? Gotta say I'm the lucky man here. Nice to meet you, I'm Darren, Cailin's fiancé,” Darren put his hand out to interrupt Nick's movement to Cailin and stop his aggressive posture.
Nick was so taken aback that he was suddenly speechless.
“Here, let me get you a drink,” Darren was ever the master at this, and Cailin was so happy for that. He pulled Cailin toward the bar as he went to get Nick's drink.
“So give me the the five second version here so I can get some liquor in him and talk him into leaving,” Darren was obviously in charge here.
“Old boyfriend, Nick, who was a....” Cailin couldn't even finish.
“Got it Cailin. Leave this all to me,” Darren seemed to have a plan in place already.
“Nick”, he called across the room, “Come on over and have a little toast with me.”
Darren gently nudged Cailin back into the party. She dreaded what was going to happen, but had to leave this to Darren. She turned around to see Darren hand Nick a double shot of Jameson. Cailin had never seen Nick drunk before and was worried he might be a very mean drunk. He was a big guy, had played football in high school.
“Cailin dear, come over hear and meet our new neighbor,” Cailin's mom was calling and she could no longer watch what was going on between Darren and Nick. Cailin couldn't remember how long it had been since Darren sent her away. Every time she tried to peek at what was going on, she was pulled further away.
That was until she heard some loud noise coming from the bar area.
“Slainte!!” “Slainte!!” “Salinte!!” Cailin turned around to see Darren and Nick in a challenge of Jameson shots! She knew from her father that is was never a good idea to challenge an Irishman to a duel of shots. She also noticed that her father had put a chair just behind Nick. As Nick lifted his hand and tilted his head back for the next shot, he fell back into the chair and passed out.
There was a huge cheer throughout the room. And Darren politely raised his last shot as a toast to the crowd and downed it like a champion. Cailin walked over the Darren and wrapped her arms around him. She couldn't have been happier.
“Darlin, I'm as drunk as a skunk. Can we say our good nights now?” Darren whispered in her ear as he leaned on Cailin for support.
“I'm thinking this is the perfect end to the night Darren,” Cailin whispered back.
They watched Sean and another neighbor help Nick out the door with Shannon as they had called a taxi to get him home. Nick was going to have a sore head the next morning and not want to do anything. He had been beaten at his own macho game and lost. It was all over now.
Cailin and Darren bid their farewells to the guests as they headed up the stairs. Darren was more difficult to maneuver that Cailin would imagine, but she managed to get him into bed, and pull off his clothes as he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.
Cailin smiled as she left Darren's room and entered hers. Darren was her knight in shining armor tonight. No man had ever done anything like this before for her. She continued to smile as she climbed into bed and pulled up the covers and fell sound asleep.
The party had been a huge success. And tomorrow she would be shopping for her wedding dress with Ruth.
It could have been the drinks, or just the casual atmosphere but Cailin was really enjoying herself. She had been so tense about this party, but everything was going just perfect.
That was until Shannon arrived at the party. Shannon was a friend from the office, but Cailin didn't know that she had been invited. Bonnie, her co-worker, and Rob, her boss, were at the party and neither had said anything about Shannon attending. Unfortunately Shannon was not alone, and it appeared that she had been doing some drinking before she arrived. Shannon, evidently, was crashing the party with none other than Nick!
Cailin's relaxed feeling suddenly turned to panic as she searched across the room for Darren. Darren saw her and immediately headed over to where she was.
“What's the matter Cailin?” Darren asked as he reached Cailin and noticed her color had turned ashen.
“He ruins everything,” is all Cailin could respond.
Darren immediately picked up on what was going on as Nick approached the two of them.
“Well Cailin, sweetie, I just couldn't let this party happen without me.” Nick leaned over to grab Cailin and was met with a strong arm on the shoulder that stopped him in his tracks.
“So you're the one who threw her away for me to find? Gotta say I'm the lucky man here. Nice to meet you, I'm Darren, Cailin's fiancé,” Darren put his hand out to interrupt Nick's movement to Cailin and stop his aggressive posture.
Nick was so taken aback that he was suddenly speechless.
“Here, let me get you a drink,” Darren was ever the master at this, and Cailin was so happy for that. He pulled Cailin toward the bar as he went to get Nick's drink.
“So give me the the five second version here so I can get some liquor in him and talk him into leaving,” Darren was obviously in charge here.
“Old boyfriend, Nick, who was a....” Cailin couldn't even finish.
“Got it Cailin. Leave this all to me,” Darren seemed to have a plan in place already.
“Nick”, he called across the room, “Come on over and have a little toast with me.”
Darren gently nudged Cailin back into the party. She dreaded what was going to happen, but had to leave this to Darren. She turned around to see Darren hand Nick a double shot of Jameson. Cailin had never seen Nick drunk before and was worried he might be a very mean drunk. He was a big guy, had played football in high school.
“Cailin dear, come over hear and meet our new neighbor,” Cailin's mom was calling and she could no longer watch what was going on between Darren and Nick. Cailin couldn't remember how long it had been since Darren sent her away. Every time she tried to peek at what was going on, she was pulled further away.
That was until she heard some loud noise coming from the bar area.
“Slainte!!” “Slainte!!” “Salinte!!” Cailin turned around to see Darren and Nick in a challenge of Jameson shots! She knew from her father that is was never a good idea to challenge an Irishman to a duel of shots. She also noticed that her father had put a chair just behind Nick. As Nick lifted his hand and tilted his head back for the next shot, he fell back into the chair and passed out.
There was a huge cheer throughout the room. And Darren politely raised his last shot as a toast to the crowd and downed it like a champion. Cailin walked over the Darren and wrapped her arms around him. She couldn't have been happier.
“Darlin, I'm as drunk as a skunk. Can we say our good nights now?” Darren whispered in her ear as he leaned on Cailin for support.
“I'm thinking this is the perfect end to the night Darren,” Cailin whispered back.
They watched Sean and another neighbor help Nick out the door with Shannon as they had called a taxi to get him home. Nick was going to have a sore head the next morning and not want to do anything. He had been beaten at his own macho game and lost. It was all over now.
Cailin and Darren bid their farewells to the guests as they headed up the stairs. Darren was more difficult to maneuver that Cailin would imagine, but she managed to get him into bed, and pull off his clothes as he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.
Cailin smiled as she left Darren's room and entered hers. Darren was her knight in shining armor tonight. No man had ever done anything like this before for her. She continued to smile as she climbed into bed and pulled up the covers and fell sound asleep.
The party had been a huge success. And tomorrow she would be shopping for her wedding dress with Ruth.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Travels in Eire #63
Cailin, her mother, and gran were busy in the kitchen making food displays for the tray that would be put out and preparing the last of the food. Darren was with Cailin's dad as they were bringing in chairs and setting up the bar area. Cailin had no doubt that her dad and Darren would throw back at least one shot of Jameson as they were getting things set up. In fact, she was sure she heard a quiet “slainte” coming from the other room and smiled to herself.
Party time was about an hour away and Cailin and Darren headed upstairs to get ready. Darren was assigned the room next to Cailin and she showed him the shower.
“What, no jet shower?” Darren teased as he knew some things would be different.
“Just don't you go using all the hot water Darren Ryan. I'm not about to take a cold shower for tonight!” Cailin reminded Darren that it was not as readily plentiful as in Ireland using a water heater.
“I'll be quick, lassie,” Darren smiled and said as he headed to the shower.
Darren was true to his words and was finished in a few minutes even leaving Cailin plenty of hot water for her turn. The rest of the family were already done for the day, so it was just the two of them upstairs. Cailin hurried through her shower also so she would have plenty of time to dry her long curly hair. She walked out of the bathroom with a bath towel wrapped around herself only to see Darren standing in his doorway with a bath towel wrapped around his waist with that devilish smile on his face.
“I thought you'd be dressed by......” Cailin started to say as Darren pulled her into his room and closed the door. Cailin was now up against the door and Darren had his two arms on the door above her shoulders.
“And what are you expecting to do here Mr. Ryan?” Cailin knew very well what Darren had in mind as he leaned in to Cailin with a passionate deep kiss that seemed to last forever. Cailin's heart was pounding. She could feel his warm chest and smell his freshly washed skin. She wanted this every bit as much as Darren. She also knew she was in big trouble here if she didn't get a hold of herself soon.
Cailin pried her arms between them up against Darren's chest. There was a momentary pause of weakness as she touched his strong chest, but she gathered all her nerve together and pushed Darren apart from her.
Darren started to laugh, almost uncontrollably.
“What is going on?” Cailin couldn't understand the reason for the laughing.
“I just wanted to make sure you remembered who is waiting for you in bed at night. I'm not silly enough to toss you in bed in your parents house when we are not even married yet. But the thought did cross my mind,” Darren teased Cailin.
“Better lock your door Mr. Ryan, I may come after you!” Cailin teased back, turned quickly and headed to her room.
As soon as Cailin dressed and dried her hair she knocked on Darren's door. There was no answer. She started down the stairs and saw her handsome finance standing by the bar with a drink in hand chatting up her father. They obviously had hit it off quiet well. She knew her parents would like Darren. How could they not? Handsome, talented, and very out-going.
Cailin had her engagement ring on and also the Connemara marble heart that Darren had given her just after they first met. She reached up to touch it and realized it had a warm feeling to it, even though marble is a cool stone.
Brinnnnggg!! The first of the guests were starting to arrive.
Party time was about an hour away and Cailin and Darren headed upstairs to get ready. Darren was assigned the room next to Cailin and she showed him the shower.
“What, no jet shower?” Darren teased as he knew some things would be different.
“Just don't you go using all the hot water Darren Ryan. I'm not about to take a cold shower for tonight!” Cailin reminded Darren that it was not as readily plentiful as in Ireland using a water heater.
“I'll be quick, lassie,” Darren smiled and said as he headed to the shower.
Darren was true to his words and was finished in a few minutes even leaving Cailin plenty of hot water for her turn. The rest of the family were already done for the day, so it was just the two of them upstairs. Cailin hurried through her shower also so she would have plenty of time to dry her long curly hair. She walked out of the bathroom with a bath towel wrapped around herself only to see Darren standing in his doorway with a bath towel wrapped around his waist with that devilish smile on his face.
“I thought you'd be dressed by......” Cailin started to say as Darren pulled her into his room and closed the door. Cailin was now up against the door and Darren had his two arms on the door above her shoulders.
“And what are you expecting to do here Mr. Ryan?” Cailin knew very well what Darren had in mind as he leaned in to Cailin with a passionate deep kiss that seemed to last forever. Cailin's heart was pounding. She could feel his warm chest and smell his freshly washed skin. She wanted this every bit as much as Darren. She also knew she was in big trouble here if she didn't get a hold of herself soon.
Cailin pried her arms between them up against Darren's chest. There was a momentary pause of weakness as she touched his strong chest, but she gathered all her nerve together and pushed Darren apart from her.
Darren started to laugh, almost uncontrollably.
“What is going on?” Cailin couldn't understand the reason for the laughing.
“I just wanted to make sure you remembered who is waiting for you in bed at night. I'm not silly enough to toss you in bed in your parents house when we are not even married yet. But the thought did cross my mind,” Darren teased Cailin.
“Better lock your door Mr. Ryan, I may come after you!” Cailin teased back, turned quickly and headed to her room.
As soon as Cailin dressed and dried her hair she knocked on Darren's door. There was no answer. She started down the stairs and saw her handsome finance standing by the bar with a drink in hand chatting up her father. They obviously had hit it off quiet well. She knew her parents would like Darren. How could they not? Handsome, talented, and very out-going.
Cailin had her engagement ring on and also the Connemara marble heart that Darren had given her just after they first met. She reached up to touch it and realized it had a warm feeling to it, even though marble is a cool stone.
Brinnnnggg!! The first of the guests were starting to arrive.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Travels in Eire #62
The weekend for the trip to New York City arrived in no time and Cailn and Darren headed to the Dublin Airport early on a Friday morning. They would arrive at JFK International for a late lunch and be partying that evening. It was a seven hour flight, so there was plenty of time to rest, read, and chat about what to expect. This was Darren's first trip abroad and he was like a kid in a candy store and wanted to know everything.
Cailin promised that if they could squeeze in a bit of sightseeing that she would take him to the State of Liberty and to the top of the Empire State Building. Most other sightseeing would have to wait for another time. Cailin was going to meet Ruth for an afternoon of dress shopping after which she hoped to have her wedding dress. Darren would be on his own during this time and she was going to send him to Times Square to check things out.
There was no need for anyone to meet them at the airport as Cailin knew how hectic the traffic could be and it was only a matter of taking a taxi to her parents. Cailin realized that Darren had gotten very quiet after they had been through immigration with their passports and picked up their luggage.
“It's so big and crowded,” he whispered in her ear.
“That's life in the big city here, my love,” she tried to play it off, but New York City and a first time in the United States could be very intimidating. Cailin tried to reassure Darren that all would be fine.
While Cailin was supporting Darren, she had other things on her mind. It had been months, but there was this little feeling in the back of her mind that she might have to deal with Nick again. She was hoping that he did know that she was coming back into town, but somehow he always seemed to find out. She had never talked to Darren about Nick, and was a little concerned that she should not have left that detail out of this trip. She had emailed everyone at work to let them know she would be stopping by if time allowed, but that this was a trip for her parents and for finding a wedding dress.
Rob, her boss, and Bonnie, her assistant, would be at the engagement party so she knew she could fill them in there. Cailin had given her mother a list of friends who she would like to have attend the party, and Nick was definitely not on that list.
As the taxi stopped in front of her parent's house, Cailin felt a little strange after being gone all summer. She was excited to share her excitement with her mother and introduce Darren all around.
“Darren, the only names you really need to worry about are my mom and dad, Kate and Sean. My gran will probably tell you to call her granny, or gran, like I do, even though her name is Mary. After that you are on you own for remembering names. Just smile and use that great Irish accent to your advantage,” Cailin was trying to make it easy for Darren.
They didn't even make it up the stoop when the door opened and Kate came running out to greet them followed by Sean. Grabbing both Cailin and Darren in her arms she doled out a huge hug of welcome. As she finished Cailin did the honors of introductions and Darren and Sean shared a sturdy handshake.
“Well, let's stop this show for the neighborhood and get inside. Granny is waiting for you two.” Sean was very self conscious about the neighborhood watching all the goings on. But they already knew as Kate and Mary had been talking about this visit at the local shops.
“Cailin, I see you have chosen a nice strapping Irishman for yourself.” Mary shouted as they approached her sitting in her chair. She was always the ultimate flirt.
“Nice to meet you m-mam,” Darren stuttered as he realized that Mary was about the same age as his grandfather.
“Oh, call me granny, son. You'll be part of the family soon enough. The only thing that would get me back to Ireland is this wedding.” Cailin could hear the excitement in her gran's voice.
Kate stood in the doorway for the kitchen and shouted, “Okay, all hands on deck. If we're going to get this engagement party going this evening, we need load of help and lots of cooking. So even Darren will be helping Sean with chairs and tables, and of course, the liquor. Let's get busy.”
Kate was on a mission. No party in her house would ever be a shabby affair. While all the food was home made and much of it prepared earlier in the week, there was still much prep to do. Next stop on this visit was Darren and Cailin's engagement party.
Cailin promised that if they could squeeze in a bit of sightseeing that she would take him to the State of Liberty and to the top of the Empire State Building. Most other sightseeing would have to wait for another time. Cailin was going to meet Ruth for an afternoon of dress shopping after which she hoped to have her wedding dress. Darren would be on his own during this time and she was going to send him to Times Square to check things out.
There was no need for anyone to meet them at the airport as Cailin knew how hectic the traffic could be and it was only a matter of taking a taxi to her parents. Cailin realized that Darren had gotten very quiet after they had been through immigration with their passports and picked up their luggage.
“It's so big and crowded,” he whispered in her ear.
“That's life in the big city here, my love,” she tried to play it off, but New York City and a first time in the United States could be very intimidating. Cailin tried to reassure Darren that all would be fine.
While Cailin was supporting Darren, she had other things on her mind. It had been months, but there was this little feeling in the back of her mind that she might have to deal with Nick again. She was hoping that he did know that she was coming back into town, but somehow he always seemed to find out. She had never talked to Darren about Nick, and was a little concerned that she should not have left that detail out of this trip. She had emailed everyone at work to let them know she would be stopping by if time allowed, but that this was a trip for her parents and for finding a wedding dress.
Rob, her boss, and Bonnie, her assistant, would be at the engagement party so she knew she could fill them in there. Cailin had given her mother a list of friends who she would like to have attend the party, and Nick was definitely not on that list.
As the taxi stopped in front of her parent's house, Cailin felt a little strange after being gone all summer. She was excited to share her excitement with her mother and introduce Darren all around.
“Darren, the only names you really need to worry about are my mom and dad, Kate and Sean. My gran will probably tell you to call her granny, or gran, like I do, even though her name is Mary. After that you are on you own for remembering names. Just smile and use that great Irish accent to your advantage,” Cailin was trying to make it easy for Darren.
They didn't even make it up the stoop when the door opened and Kate came running out to greet them followed by Sean. Grabbing both Cailin and Darren in her arms she doled out a huge hug of welcome. As she finished Cailin did the honors of introductions and Darren and Sean shared a sturdy handshake.
“Well, let's stop this show for the neighborhood and get inside. Granny is waiting for you two.” Sean was very self conscious about the neighborhood watching all the goings on. But they already knew as Kate and Mary had been talking about this visit at the local shops.
“Cailin, I see you have chosen a nice strapping Irishman for yourself.” Mary shouted as they approached her sitting in her chair. She was always the ultimate flirt.
“Nice to meet you m-mam,” Darren stuttered as he realized that Mary was about the same age as his grandfather.
“Oh, call me granny, son. You'll be part of the family soon enough. The only thing that would get me back to Ireland is this wedding.” Cailin could hear the excitement in her gran's voice.
Kate stood in the doorway for the kitchen and shouted, “Okay, all hands on deck. If we're going to get this engagement party going this evening, we need load of help and lots of cooking. So even Darren will be helping Sean with chairs and tables, and of course, the liquor. Let's get busy.”
Kate was on a mission. No party in her house would ever be a shabby affair. While all the food was home made and much of it prepared earlier in the week, there was still much prep to do. Next stop on this visit was Darren and Cailin's engagement party.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
