Derry Diary #16
14 July 2004
Rosemount
Cloudy and chilly.

All during the day today there was an odor of manure hanging over Rosemount. I thought it may have been us because we hadn't showered since Monday, but evidently it was the field behind Rosemount which had been recently fertilized. It was strong ....I love the smell of manure in the morning...it smells like ...cows.

Sometimes it is easier to leave things in a story then to edit them out. In my case, when I leave out something it is not because I'm conscious of the reader, it is just that I forget them. It is in the effort that we will be judged, not the result. Wow, did I just make that up or did I rip it off from somebody? I dunno. Sometimes I have these lucid moments of profoundness.

Anyway, one of the things that I left out in our last missive was the fact that we (the S. I. group from San Francisco) received a plaque from the Lord Mayor commemorating our visit. A picture of it is presented below on the left. The right picture is Kris, a local waif.

The City Plaque	The City Kristyan

Nice to take home and hang in the main school hallway next to Kris' picture. I only used his because it balanced the page or something.The saying "Doire Colm Cille" means Columba's Oak Grove. Columba set up his monastery in the oak grove...and the rest is history. By receiving this plaque from the Lord Mayor of Doire, we are continuing the history.

Here is the update on the work our kids have done today.

Matt played basketball and football.

Nora ran and dribbled the ball during a basketball game and made a basket. At the switch in the afternoon she played jump rope and a color game (which she described to me but I couldn't figure it out which is just another reason why parents should tell their children "Just say no.." but that is another story for another time).

Bobby swam with the Brooke Park wanes and taught Bucko how to swim. Bucko (Hugh David) was extremely appreciative of Bobby's efforts.

Andrew remained at the club with Nora and Matt and played on the pitches in the back of the club building.

(Did I tell you I busted my belt today? Too many fancies and candy)

Val also stayed behind and played with the wanes in the park. In the afternoon she was a floater from activity to activity seeing if any of the other leaders needed help. Oh yeah, she and Sparky (Bucko's younger brother) got married. Both Nora and Val met Chuckie's parents at their home around the corner.

Val and her intended, Sparky (Sean)	Patti getting an early birthday present

Patti swam with the kids at the city "Baths" along with Bobby, Mel and Keggy (Kevin). Everyone here has a nickname. (After six years in Derry, I too have a nickname which you really don't need to know.) She got a gift (above) of a bear and a wall plaque in the form of a fairy given to her by Kris.

Mel also went swimming and on the way home little Mark bought her candy at the shop. she also got a gift from Shannon and Tammy. When she went to visit a home she was overwhelmed by the welcoming-ness of the people. (There are no strangers in Derry)

Jannelle played basketball, also a form of knock out and several indoor games in the club. She also played a parachute game, got her hair done and a face message by the wanes.

Sparky and Cal

Fro dinner, Mel and Val cooked home made pizza with salad and for desert we had a fruit salad thing with kiwi, melon, apple and banana. Delightful.

After dinner we went on an expedition to Baldrick Crescent to see the burning down of the infamous water slide. Alas it had been burned earlier in the day. Originally I was going to build tonite's diary around bonfires but that's the way of it. You can plan all sorts of stuff to do and in a minute it has all changed. Man proposes and God disposes...now I know I didn't make that one up.

Tomorrow all our kids are off to Portrush with the kids in the Summer Scheme. It will be a long day for them.

Tonite's prayer/journal was lead by Janelle who guided us into a meditative state. The focus was on living in the moment, which is really hard at this point in the Immersion. Leaving is just around the corner and our pace has not let up a bit. It was a timely topic, to use every moment left to us in this city and neighborhood to keep ourselves present in the moment.

More later.

cheers,

paul and Cal