St. Paddy's Day

Hello everyone! I have some fun things to update you on. :)





After the four day group, most people left for mini trips on the five days we had off. I, on the other hand, looked forward to being alone in this house for a few days for my holiday. It didn't actually work out that way, however. Erin was also here tying up loose ends because she was leaving the following Saturday. One of the days off we went on a few visits to her favorite members to say goodbye. I got lucky because John Hart is her favorite and he happens to live with Paul Lockery, my own dear favorite. We took them out for dinner and it was so much fun! Oh how I love Paul. But you all knew that... Tuesday morning I woke up to a stranger in the house. Ovidiu is 26 years old and is from Romania. He is volunteering here for a year and living in the house with us, but he won't be a normal volunteer. They hired him to be our full time driver. This is a great plan! In addition to driving the bus during the groups (which will cut the costs of paying for a professional driver), he will also be able to drive us to visits and to the grocery store. I told everyone in the house that I knew that Ovidiu would be crazy because all the Romanians I know are crazy. Well let me just say that I was right! But more about that later. Another new volunteer arrived later that Tuesday. Lucy is in her mid twenties and she is from San Diego. She has been living and studying in Austria for the past few years and decided to take a break for the summer. She is very nice and funny, but I think it will take some time for her to feel comfortable here. When the Germans came back from Cork, we all sat down and had dinner to welcome the newbies.





Wednesday morning, I went to the bus stop at half six to take the bus to the airport. My friend from the States, Jessica Campbell, was coming to see me for a few days. I waited there for an hour until a lady walked by and told me that because it was St. Patrick's Day, the buses ran on a "Sunday Schedule". It sucked! So I ended up walking back to the house and calling a taxi. Luckily, the airport is only 20 minutes away and the taxi only cost be 15 euro. When I got there I saw that her plane was delayed by an hour and half, but I didn't mind. I was glad that she wasn't there waiting for me, because I was a bit late. It was SO good to see her! Jess and I have been friends since the first grade. We've always kept in touch, even after going to different schools in high school. She's the best! We came back to the house and everyone was awake and ready to hit the town! There was a parade at noon in city center. Apparently, we were all a little late. Everyone alive in this area was cramming the streets dressed in green wigs, leprechaun outfits, and shamrocks painted on their faces. There was no chance of seeing the parade, even though we walked down the road it was going to travel through. Some people brought ladders to stand on, which was a good idea! After watching most of the parade on our tip toes, we decided to get some lunch at Kate's favorite vegetarian restaurant. We then decided to go back home because the crowds were too much! Mary Fox decided that she wanted to make us a traditional Irish meal for a goodbye to Erin. At the time, we were all frustrated because Erin agreed and therefore changed all of our plans to what she wanted. But it ended up being very nice. Afterward we played some games and hung out. A few people wanted to drink with me, but no one wanted to go crazy like you're supposed to do on St. Patrick's Day! I was disappointed. :P





The next day was a working day. I sent Jess off to the village for exploring while we had meetings and cleaned the house for the party. Because Erin had been here for almost two years and was the house leader, the management organized a party for her here at the house with several members invited. I made meatballs (Grandma Hattie's recipe!) and cheesecake. All the food turned out very well! Jess came back and got to meet a few of my favorite members, including Michaelena! We all had nice time, and it meant a lot to Erin. Afterwards we went to Gibney's so that Erin could say goodbye. Jessica had to go to her hostel around half ten. It was too bad that she left because when I returned from taking her to the stop the party was just beginning! There was a crappy cover band playing pretentious punk rock music. Ovidiu started dancing in his seat and then got up and went crazy! It's so hard to describe the dancing that ensued. He said, "This music moves me! I must dance!" hahaha So good... At the end of the night we all got up and busted out the dance moves we've learned from the members. It was so much fun!





Friday was the beginning of our group. I was paired with Marian Cullen. She hasn't been in the house since I've been here, but I've met her before. She is such a fun person to be around! She's in her fifties and lives in the same hospital as Dora. (I was with Dora last November. She is the one who loves Patrick Swayze!) Marian is a really funny person. She loves to mess and play games. She liked to put me to sleep and then take my ring off. Then she'd order me to wake up and I would be shocked to find my ring missing. The game went on and on and I loved it! After everyone arrived on Friday, we had dinner made by Erin. Soon after dinner we headed out to the cinema. Khadija picked the movie, an Irish film called Zonad. Apparently it was about a man who escaped out of rehab and pretended to be an alien to be accepted into a family. Luckily, there was no room for Marian's wheelchair in the theater, so we were sent to Alice in Wonderland. I was so excited! Unfortunately, we had to miss the first twenty minutes. So I look forward to catching up on what I missed. I really loved the movie! Normally I dislike Tim Burton's recreations, but I thought he did an amazing job. I recommend it. :)



When we got back to the house it was after eleven. No one wanted to go to bed, especially the members who were close to Erin because she was leaving the next morning. After midnight Marian and I decided it was time. After I got her into bed I started to leave to get myself ready. She stopped me and asked me if I wanted to pray with her. It was SO sweet! She told me that she really loved being paired with me and that "we are just a good fit, dontcha think?" It really meant a lot to me to be with a member that I love and feel loved in return.



Saturday morning I woke up at seven to say goodbye to Erin. It is so weird to be in this house without her. Now I am the longest here. Strange... Anyways, after breakfast we went shopping in Swords. I had so much fun with Marian! She had loads of money to spend. We got movies and puzzles and she even bought a little puppy stuffed animal for me! So sweet! During lunch she told me about how she was in the beginning of the movie "Inside I'm Dancing." It's an Irish film about two young men who are both in wheelchairs and are living in a hospital setting (much like most of our members.) The movie is about their friendship and how they fight for their Independence. It's a really great film. Marian, Dora, and Dorothy (all CASA members) auditioned to be in the beginning of the movie in the hospital scene. She was telling me about the process and how she got to meet James McAvoy! So exciting! I sent the movie to my sister Sarah, so if anyone is interested in seeing it, let me know.



We had dinner at the house, followed by drinks at the Hilton. There was a three-man band from Spain playing music near our tables. Marian got us all up and dancing. The lead singer dedicated a song to her! She was beaming! During their break, he came over and gave the members CDs of their music and signed an autograph for Marian. He even kissed her hand! She was so excited and kept asking me how jealous I was. haha It was such a great night!



Sunday morning we all went to Mass and returned at the exact time that Jessica stopped by. She came to meet the members and hang out for a bit before she had to catch the bus to the airport. All of the members left by 4:15, which almost never happens. Sharon gave me permission to miss the meeting after the group so that I could take Jess to the airport. It meant so much to me to have that extra time with her.



I haven't done too much on my days off. We all got hooked on that reality show Jersey Shore. I don't know if you know about this show, but basically it's like the Real World only with all "Guidos" or Italian Americans. The show is so absurd but insanely fun to watch with the Europeans. :) I also moved my stuff into Erin's room. It's so nice to have privacy again! One more step closer to coming home!

I can't believe this time next week I'll be in Madrid! Life is moving a little too fast for me!

Oh, LenNART!

Well, I just got done with a four day group, and now I am in blissful rest for the next few days. :)

Tuesday afternoon, I headed to the city center to pick up his member, Michael Doran. Michael was coming in from Nenagh in Tipperary. It's about three hours away by bus. I've met Michael before. He was in on Jose's first group. He is very independent, and he acquired his intellectual disability from a car crash years ago. I was paired with a woman named Helen, who I've been with before. Helen is also very independent. Most of the week, she spent her time flirting with Lennart. She always gravitates towards one man in the house, and Lennart just so happens to be our only boy right now. It was SO funny to see their interaction! She would constantly say, "Oh, LenNART!" And he would laugh and reply with, "Oh, HelEN!" There was a super awkward moment when she wanted to pose for a picture while kissing him on the cheek. Unfortunately, he's much taller than her and she ended up getting him on the neck! hahaha So even though Helen had very little interest in me, I didn't mind so much. Gillian Groves was in! She is my sunshine. :) Gillian is the one I was paired with before Christmas who constantly sings Neil Diamond with me. When I saw her she gave me a big hug and broke out with, "Money talks, but it can't sing and it can't walk." I was overjoyed!

The four days flew by. We had dinner at the house Tuesday night followed by bowling. Wednesday was so beautiful, so we made a trip down to Glendalough. I'd been there before on a day trip with some members, so I knew to expect a beautiful walk! We had a great time out there in the trails. When we were done with our walk, we stopped at the hotel for some lunch. Later that night, we had a volunteer chef (Patsy) come and make us dinner. Michael really loves to cook and the attention it brings him. He was in the kitchen with Patsy helping him prepare the meal. He kept walking around to everyone telling them that he was Chef Michael Ramsey, Gordon's first cousin. haha

The next day we went shopping in Blanchardstown. It was nice to have some forced alone time with Helen. But at some point she asked if we could go find Lennart. I agreed, hoping we wouldn't find him. I think he needed the break. :P That night we went out to dinner at Oscar Taylors. The meal was very good, but poor Gillian got sick. She and Kate went home and had a rough night. But Gillian was as good as new the next morning. We had Mass with Fr. Pat, who we love. Two in the afternoon came very quickly Friday morning. We all said goodbye, one by one, to our members.

That night we all just hung out here at the house. Lennart borrowed the first season of Damages from the library so we finished it off that night. I spent yesterday catching up on emails and watching insane amounts of The Colbert Report. I really needed a lazy day. :) I went to the village today for Mass and a walk. Now I'm just catching up on a few things. This next week will be insane, but I am very excited for St. Patrick's Day in DUBLIN! A once in a lifetime opportunity for me! :)

I hope you all wear lots of green and drink a Guinness or two in memory of me on Wednesday! ;) Love you,
Claire

Ready for Home Already?

Well I finally have some time to update this thing. The past few weeks have been crazy! I'll start with the teens group. It's no secret that the teens and kids groups are not my favorite. This group was no exception. :P I was paired with Leanne. She is 17 years old and had an infection when she was young that led to a delay in her intellectual development. This is a nice way of saying that she's overactive and very difficult to care for. She is such a sweet girl but she is constantly moving from place to place and acting out. I spent the whole weekend balancing trying to have fun with her and telling her no when she constantly asked me for sweets. Her mom told me when she came that she is prone to overeating and I should monitor her intake. She slept well the first night, but the second night was a disaster. She woke me up five times throughout the night. At midnight she woke me up and asked if she could take a shower! At five in the morning she woke up for good and luckily Canada was up and told me to go back to sleep. God bless her! But besides the frustrating moments, I did enjoy hanging out with Leanne. She has constant energy, and she often does her version of messing. This consists of her saying something like, "I'm gonna sit down, I'm gonna sit down, I'm gonna sit down.......NO I'm NOT!" We ended the group by joining the social at Clontarf Castle. I'm not sure who's bright idea it was for us to bring the teens to the adult social. :P Leanne was walking from table to table trying to sneak in more desserts. She walked over to a table of old women and when I told them not to give her any chocolate they looked at me like I was a monster and gave her several pieces! She had just had so much food and dessert! I wanted to smack those ladies! That happened with that table a few times and each time they gave her more chocolate. I'm sure her mother would be thrilled. Overall the weekend was successful, and I really worked hard to do my best. My supervisor said I did well balancing fun and discipline when needed.

The next weekend was a completely different situation! I had an amazing time. It was not a normal group. We invited three members over to join us in fundraising. We split up into two groups and collected money from the two Catholic churches in our neighborhood. I got to collect with my absolute favorite member, Paul Lockery! He's so amazing!!! We went to the first Mass on Saturday night and as we stood with our buckets he turned to me and said, "Should I sing?" I thought it was a great idea! So we stood outside the church and he sang to the people as they came out! I must say it worked very well! He also sang me my song! "Claire" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. I got a video of it (thanks Sarah!) to take home with me! I'm so happy to have that because I will miss him so much when I go home. Sunday was pure joy! Paul and I hung out with Lennart and Ken in between Masses. We went to get coffee and Paul leaned over to me and said, "I'm very fond of you!" It was so sweet! I love that the feeling is mutual!

The fundraising was very successful! We did eight Masses and our total was about 7500 euro! I was very grateful for the generosity of our neighbors!

Monday morning Erin, Canada, Lennart, and I headed down to Cork to stay with Tom on his chicken farm. I went down there with Erin last July (I can't believe how long ago that was!) and I was ready for another trip to the farm! Tom is incredibly generous and let us all stay there, as well as buying us food to prepare the dinner. The next day we met up with Denis, another Cork CASA volunteer, who hung out with us for the day. We went with the two of them to visit two of their members. Mary and Dermott met up with us and we went out for coffee. Denis and Tom take out CASA members all the time and pay for the outings with their own money. They are definitely living out what they believe, and it was really inspiring. We brought Mary and Dermott back to Tom's house and we had another nice dinner prepared by us "kids." Tom took us back to the train that evening and gave us money to take a taxi home because the buses would not be running when we got back to Dublin. He's so great!

The next morning we got the house ready for the group. It was weird to go from a day off to a group without a day to prepare. I was paired with Bernie for a second time. I don't know if you remember, but Bernie is a tough member to be with. She is 25 years old and has an intellectual disability. When I was with her before, we got on great and I had immense patience with her. This time I felt like I had no patience at all. I think I must be getting ready to come home. I'm still working hard and doing my best, but it feels like I'm struggling more to do this than when I started. The more I talk to people from home and make plans to see them, the more I'm dying to leave! That being said, I know that when I do actually leave, it will be very hard to say goodbye. Anyways, sorry for that tangent. Bernie can be difficult to be around because she is constantly complaining about everything around her. She always says that she hates the activities that we do, the movies we see, and the dinners we have. Everyone knows that she says these things purely for attention, because every time she goes home from the break she calls the next week to ask when she can come back. :) So the reality is that from a young age she learned that the only way she would get any attention from her family was to complain. It's really very sad. However, it doesn't really make it easier when she's yelling at you for not being helpful as you're trying to help her. The schedule of the group was really fun. The first day we had an early dinner at a restaurant that we were trying for the first time. The prices were great and the food was even better! We had Mass in the house after dinner with Fr. Frank. He is such a great person! I really enjoyed the Mass, and at the end he said a prayer for us volunteers and acknowledged how hard it can be to leave our homes and families to volunteer here. It's amazing how a simple sentence of recognition can go a long way. I think a lot of us feel that the management doesn't really appreciate how difficult it can be for us sometimes. It meant a lot to me that he prayed for us and our families. On Thursday we went out shopping during the day, came back for dinner at the house, and then went out to the cinema. We saw the movie "Crazy Heart" with Jeff Bridges. I really liked it, but it wasn't the best choice for the group. Friday went by very quickly. We had a late breakfast and then went for a walk to the castle and played a bit of soccer. The weather here has been so amazing! I keep waiting for the rain to come back. It really hasn't rained here any more than it does in Oregon. I don't know what people are always complaining about. :)

Today is a lazy day. I've been working on my trip to Madrid, Milan, and Venice. Trip planning is complicated when several people are involved! But I am just excited to see Jose, Gabriele, Audrey, and Andre one more time before I go back home. The gelato, pizza, and espresso are just icing on the cake. :)

I hope all of you are doing well!