Kieran Mulvaney

Dec 30, 2011 7:20 AM EST

Dear Kieran, what a wonderful post. So full of hope and maturity. I am staying in Winscombe for a couple of days (28/12/11-1/1/12) in an unplanned but very valued 'time out' at my God daughter's home while she is in Cardiff. She says she likes me here and lets me use her spare key. This isn't something for you to put up on your website as a comment, it was just easier for me to make contact directly via the 'comment' function while I was on your blog than to open a new page, search for hotmail on an unfamiliar computer, open it, etc. I want to relieve you asap of any sense that I am expecting a reply to my email. Although I would love to hear from you, please never feel any obligation. I read your two most recent posts this afternoon with a glad heart and, I have to confess, a few tears. Silly isn't it? The Bible says somewhere "there is a time for everything." Well, enjoy your time Kieran and do do do 'live in the moment'. I visited my parents w/c 11/12 and spent my birthday with them for the first time in many years. My father almost died in Feb 2009 but with my Mum's love and good medical input, after he rallied, he has improved steadily. I stayed with them for the 3 weeks he was in hospital and spent a lot of time in the hospital's little chapel while my Mother was upstairs. Now, two years on, on the Saturday before I left (I flew on Sunday 18/12), totally unexpectedly, he was presented with a personally made honour by the Chairman of Clube de Vela de Lagos (his sailing club) in recognition of his commitment to sailing and the fact that he still sails his single-handed Laser dinghy at the age of 86 (87 in May). What they don't know is that he does this despite having had both knees replaced and one of his hips. That day, he also went out for a 2 1/2 hour sail. As a nod towards the actuality of his age and, I guess, his relative frailties, he only goes out when there are other club boats on the sea who know he is there, unless it is s formal race or the youngsters are getting some tuition. In both those scenarios, there is a rescue boat to hand. I live with a continual sense of awe for my Mother, whose love extends to allowing him to keep that part of himself that makes him who he is. She is no less brave for this than he is for sailing. I walked from their home in Monte Ruivo to Lagos (13km) that day and my heart missed a beat when an ambulance came screaming down the Avenida. My first thought was "Daddy! Oh God!" It wasn't him, but the thought was definitely there. I feel the proximity of their death like an ache inside my heart and really don't know how I will cope when it comes. There are some things you can't imagine in advance. What was the point of me telling you this? Well, while my sister and I were at my Aunty Dolly's 90th birthday in Pembrokeshire on 27th Dec, we received word that my Dad had been taken into A & E at Barlavento Hospital in Portimao, with a suspected recurrence of what had happened in Feb 2009. He is back home again now, but he will need an operation to remove his gall bladder. My Mum (89 in July), sat with him in a busy Portuguese A & E on hard seats amongst all the drunks and other patients until 4am, before they finally got home (20 miles away) somehow. Theirs was a redoutable generation. My Mum's health hasn't been too good lately, but it is less obvious in a way, because it doesn't really come with crisis, just daily challenges to keep on. She gets very tired, too (especially of cooking the evening meal - I can't say I blame her - she's been doing it for almost all their 58 years of marriage and 7 year courtship!). They've been over there since 1986. Live in the moment, yes, because you never know what is just around the corner. This afternoon, as I was coming home from a walk, I received a text message that the cousin who hosted Dolly's family celebration on Tuesday had just had a bad house fire and the house has been destroyed. The family has had to find rented accommodation. Dolly lives in their basement, backing onto the beach at Saundersfoot. They are all very lucky to be alive. Life never stands still, Kieran. Not for anyone. I have enjoyed being in touch and shall email you again no doubt, because I like to feel as though there's some kind of a connection. So... even though you don't know any of the people that I write about, you have known me and that's enough. Just promise me that you'll forgive me if I end up repeating things from time to time! Take care and many blessings for your coming year. Much love from Sue

- Sue

Jan 19, 2012 12:05 AM EST

Well - I'm now the proud owner of your paperback! I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Ice Bear' last year from the local Library and will re-read it. As the writer of this review says: it carries you along. For me, this was partly about your weaving together of story and fact. However, I found my response to the content, in places, really painful. This was mainly due to my abiding sense of impotence as to whether one woman's conservation habits might make any practical impact on our changing world. That and the contradictory, consumerist desires I have to travel, explore, and create! Oy-vey! ...happy writing Kieran.

- Sue

Dec 21, 2011 2:29 AM EST

Hi Kieran - what great news. I shall be there waiting in my local bookstore, with my 'happy birthday' book voucher grasped in a sticky little mitt. I hope you've cracked the Tombstone mission without losing too much hair to stressful deadlines and, if it is released in the public domain, really look forward to reading it. Take care and have a wonderful Christmas.

- Sue

Dec 21, 2011 3:02 AM EST

Hi Sue, thanks so much as always. Haven't even had a chance to start on Tombstone, I've been so overwhelmed with work - hence few posts here and I STILL haven't replied to your email. But it's first on the docket for the New Year. Enjoy the holidays and talk to you soon.

- Kieran

Feb 06, 2012 1:06 PM EST

Looks like I found the next bedtime read for my 6 year old conservationist in the making. Granted she's not likely to bump into a polar bear in the north-end of Liverpool, but who knows where her little life will lead her to.

Hope the sales go well. Best of British to you Kieran.

- Fran@myboxingcoach.com