Coffee Makes a Difference

10/08/2025

I haven’t written a blog post this week because there hasn’t been much to write about. Instead of having a crisis that needed to be addressed, there was no major crisis this week. In the future I will write a post each Sunday unless there is something interesting going on.

For those who read last week’s post, I did not go to Wexford with Christina and Joe as their chaperone. In fact, I didn’t see Christina at church.

On Wednesday, I attended the Women’s Bible Study and then went for coffee with the group. This coffee time is my favorite part of the week because I get to sit around and chat with other women about a variety of topics. I spent some of that time talking with a woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She asked me about the U.S. healthcare system, which is quite a difficult topic to explain. Then, she inquired about Canada and what I knew about it. I learned that her parents live in Toronto. I've traveled to Canada -- to the east coast, to the west coast and several places in between. It’s a beautiful country, but I don’t know much about life there. I’m not sure I was much help to her in our conversation.

Speaking of having coffee with friends, I have a friend in Kingwood that I used to have coffee with every other week. We missed our coffees so we decided to have a virtual coffee. We use WhatsApp which I’m told is free. I hope it is or I’m going to have a huge phone bill.  We set a day and time to call, fixed a nice beverage, made the call and enjoyed catching up. It was delightful and we talked as if we were in our local Starbucks. Technology is amazing.  If anyone else is interested in having a virtual coffee, let me know.

The weather since my arrival in Ireland has been remarkably pleasant. One day, I didn’t feel

People's Park

like walking into town or heading to Tesco, but I knew I needed to get outside in the beautiful weather for both physical and emotional reasons. There is a large park across from my apartment complex called the People’s Park, which might sound a bit Communist, but it was actually built in 1850. It’s a lovely park, featuring playgrounds, ball fields, picnic tables and even a skateboard rink. I enjoyed my walk while watching the children at play—kids kicking a soccer ball around, an Indian family practicing cricket, and even a birthday party happening nearby.

People's Park Playground

As I strolled, I spotted a small business selling snacks. I assumed they sold cokes, chips, ice cream, and maybe some reheated pizza. However, upon checking the menu, I discovered they offered numerous types of coffee and pastries. That sounded much more appealing! I decided on a mocha coffee and a slice of fruit bread. If I were to have a virtual coffee with you, I might just be seated in that little coffee shop in the park across from my apartment, enjoying a mocha and a pastry. What a neat find!

My mail is still causing me problems. The Irish immigration authorities required that I mail them my passport. I have been waiting for them to mail it back to me. One day this week, I asked a neighbor to check my mailbox which is located right next to the ground (almost impossible for me to check). They pulled out a notice from An Post that they were holding a registered item at the central post office for me. I grabbed a cab and headed to the post office only to be told that I was too late. It had been returned to the immigration authorities. I am now contacting the immigration authorities to get them to mail it again and maybe let me know it is coming. I’ll be so glad to get my passport in my grubby little hands.

I’ve been trying to find a restaurant that I truly enjoy.  I eat out about twice a week. Since it is light so late in the day, I’ve been walking into Waterford. I tried a hotel restaurant which was just okay. I was sitting by a group of ladies who were confined to wheelchairs. They all were in electric wheelchairs.  When they tried to leave it was quite a traffic jam; some were much better drivers than others.

Another night I went to a true Irish pub, O’Sullivan’s. It was crowded mainly with drinkers; only a few people were eating. Because I was a single, I got to sit at the bar. It was fascinating watching the bartenders work. I presume that the people ordering drinks were speaking English, but I could only understand a few of them. How the bartenders kept everything straight I’ll never understand. Of course, the main beer ordered was Guiness, but many ordered Corona with a lime. I have found another job I couldn’t possibly handle – bartender.  I did eat a delicious corned beef sandwich while sitting at the bar. My meal at O’Sullivan’s was interesting but also tiring.

I need a bit of help.  The church I’m attending is having an International Day in September. I need to bring a national dish. What do you suggest? Thanks in advance

Waterford Weather:

High 71 F (22  C), Low 52 F (11 C)

Sunrise  6:02 , Sunset  9:04 (21:04 EU time)

Hours of daylight 15 hours and 2 minutes