You Said It

Star letter
Happiness
I'm loving the revamped Woman's Way, in particular the focus on particular themes in a single issue. The recent 'happiness' issue reminded me of a book 'Happiness - A guide to developing life's most important skill' by Matthieu Ricard. I started to read this book about five years ago but left it aside as my life got busy with work, family etc. 

Prompted by your magazine, I retrieved the book from the forgotten book pile on my bedroom floor and started to read the book anew, this time taking my time to absorb its content and try out the simple practices suggested. It's early days yet in the process, but one thing I've learned so far is that it's never too late to be happy.
Doreen Burke, Dublin 

 Birdwatching

How beautiful are the birds when they chirp in the morning - my favorite sound. Especially with bright mornings, I sit outside with my coffee and listen to them sing. The article by Niall Hatch on bird watching was a great read. I often wonder what kind of birds I have in my garden and which kind is making which noise. I have big, tall trees that the birds love to nest in and I have bird feeders in my front and back gardens. I also thought the migration information was really interesting, I often wonder when I see birds flying in their flock - ‘where are they off to?’ 

Pamela Burton, Co Laois

Seafood Recipes

One thing I think of when the sun shines is seafood. I loved the recipes in the last issue - seafood is my favorite thing to eat. Especially with a cold glass of white wine, chilling in my back garden. I love how light it is to eat, with so much flavor and the quality of fresh seafood in Ireland is unmatched. Dublin Bay prawns are divine, especially in pasta or served with some garlic and crusty bread!

Alice Noonan, Co Louth

Eurovision 2021

In my house, I have happy memories watching the Eurovision. My husband, two children and I would cuddle up on the sofa, order a takeaway and spend some family time together. My children have since ‘left the nest’ as they say, but my husband and I continue the tradition regardless. I would imagine a lot of families will be watching the Eurovision this year since everyone is at home. It’s nice to have this ‘normal’ tradition when we are in these strange times. Ireland always does so well in the contest and it’s so wonderful so see all of the different countries. Best of luck to Lesley Roy – she is a brilliant singer and will make Ireland proud. 

Annemarie Bryne, Wexford 

Pamela Laird 

Wow – I have just finished reading your article about Pamela Laird and what an inspiration she is. I can’t imagine what it must be like going from such a busy life, travelling all over for meetings and then being stuck at home with the pandemic! My daughter uses her products for makeup removal and swears by them. She says they are so easy to use and no fuss at all. I was sorry to hear about Pamela’s father being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It is amazing she has become an ambassador for ASI, and I think it shows a great deal of support and solidarity with other families who are going through the same thing. I wish her and her family all the best. 

Mary O’Brien, Mayo

Coming of Age 

Thank you for the article with Anne Griffin about coming of age. I have just turned 60 and I still believe I am changing and learning new things about myself. I agree that you don’t just turn a certain age and then that’s it, you’re a pro at adulthood. It’s more complex than that and I was happy to see it being spoken about. I feel I can relate a lot to Anne as I was also sent to a very Catholic school where academia wasn’t a major priority. It’s inspiring to see how Anne broke those stereotypes and is now a successful author. It gave me a lot of hope for my future and I came to the realization my future is not set in stone, anything can happen and I’m excited to begin this new chapter of my life.

Karen Cassell, Cork

Blooming Lovely 

 Thank you so much for the guide to blossoms in the last issue of Woman’s Way. Every year I look forward to seeing a beautiful cherry tree bloom in my garden. This year I really couldn’t wait to see those pretty pink flowers sprinkled all over the branches. It’s been such a long tough winter and it lifts my heart to see those lovely blooms. It reminds me that no matter how hard things are there is always beauty in the world. 

I quite understand why the Japanese have turned blossom season into a festival. I love the idea that they do a ‘blossom forecast’ along with the weather forecast. Wouldn’t it be great if Met Eireann did the same. It would cheer us all up, especially when the weather is still cold and grey.  

 Aileen Hickey, Monaghan 

No Beer 

I was so impressed by Tracy Cassidy’s story on her year without alcohol. I agree wholeheartedly that as Irish people we have managed to embed alcohol into nearly every occasion. There’s hardly a family gathering that takes place without wine, beer and spirits being involved. People drink because they’ve had a good day, because they’ve had a bad day, because they’re bored, because they’re excited. There’s always an excuse. 

I’m not a killjoy. I like a drink now and again but I’ve also seen the other side of drink. I have more than one friend who has what I would call a drinking problem, not that they see it that way. I also lost someone to alcohol and it is a terrible way to go.  

Life can be just as enjoyable, if not more enjoyable, without drink. I just wish more people would see it that way. 

Jane Hilton, Tipperary 

 Magpies

In Spring 2020 we were all, more or less, confined to our homes.  I was grateful to a pair of magpies for entertaining me for several weeks in April.  I sat at my kitchen table and watched the forays to and fro as the nest was built and lined.  From an early age I was aware of the superstition surrounding magpies – one for sorrow, two for joy etc. – but otherwise I knew nothing about them.  I discovered the magpie is considered evil in Europe and the U.S. but is associated with good luck in some Asian countries.

 As spring turned to summer the foliage all but blocked my view of the nest and the tree was bare and quiet all winter. With the arrival of spring 2021, and the requirement to stay in our homes, I watched for signs of the birds return.  One evening I heard a bird signing and saw a lone magpie.  The sound was not particularly musical but, to my ear, was hauntingly beautiful.  I went online to see what I could learn.  

 Seems magpies stay with their mate for life.  If their mate dies, they feel grief and even lay grass ‘wreaths’ by the body. Following a period of mourning the surviving bird will look for a new mate.  Was my bird singing a dirge at the nest of his dead mate or singing a love song hoping to attract a new mate?  Whichever, that was my sole sighting, this spring.  

Maybe the bird had a premonition this was not a good place to start a new family because, a few weeks later, I heard a loud noise and saw an agile tree surgeon taking down the ‘magpie’ tree limb by limb.  It was interesting to watch his skill and admire his courage but I knew I was trading two hours diversion for tranquil moments watching bird life. 

Some see the magpie as a pest. They say there are too many as there are no avian predators to eat them.  Imbalance in nature causes problems of all sorts – Covid being an extreme example.   Rather than single out the humble magpie and point fingers – let us look at how, over the past few decades, we humans have adversely impacted on the natural world for our own gain.  I think nothing is black and white – not even the humble magpie!

 Margaret Riordan, Co Kildare

 Teresa Mannion

Well, what a lovely surprise I got with my recently purchased Woman’s Way. I had stopped buying it as I couldn’t read it in the evening and also didn't like the tarot pages. No problem with horoscopes though! Anyway, I had to go to the nearest garage for milk and when getting the paper for my husband I was delighted to see one of my favorite ladies, Teresa Mannion, on the front cover and bought a copy. I can't believe the amount of interesting reading in the issue and have decided to sign up for postal delivery in case I miss a copy.

Keep up the good work, with what is now, an excellent Irish magazine.

Thank you!
Olive Henderson, Kildare 

Thank You

Congratulations on the super new layout of the magazine. I now read the contents page and look forward to reading every article and entering the competitions. It's great that there are more letters printed and I like how Norah gives a side note on some topics.  And finally, it's a good idea to let us know when the next magazine will be in the shops and what we have to look forward to. Many thanks 

Sally Price, Dublin

Cover Star
How delighted I was to see Cathy Kelly on the cover of Woman’s Way. She looks great! I have always thought Cathy was a really interesting lady and such an inspiration. I had a good laugh when she told us about her lockdown crocheting hobby! I have done the same with knitting - although it’s time-consuming, it’s great when you need a mindless task to get lost in. I could relate. I admire her discipline in writing her book in a lockdown, it couldn’t have been easy. I can’t wait to read it.
Tessa Maldron, Co Cork

Crystals

Judith McAdam’s article on crystals was really interesting. My daughter is into energy healing and we have so many crystals around the house - I don’t even know what half of them are for! I was actually really surprised that I could recognize one or two crystals from her explanations. I think I’ll give them a try - there’s plenty of negativity about at the minute, why not? 

Lisa Dunne, Co Dublin

Summer Beauty

When I saw the massive beauty spread in the issue, I was delighted. My roots are beyond help and my eyebrows are begging to be done in a salon. I love to garden and I’m constantly out there digging and pulling - my nails are ruined. I am so excited to get started on some beauty prep for summer. The hot weather has me pulling out all my shorts and skirts for my walks. It’s glorious. I also love the fact you included tinted moisturizer for those who aren’t into fake tanning - I love the glow they give.
Carmel Dutton, Co Waterford 

Equine Therapy

The article about equine therapy made me cry. It is such a lovely idea. I have always thought horses are very calming animals and I used to regularly go horse riding as a child. I cannot believe the health benefits the horses have on the people who ride them. It’s amazing really, especially when the benefits are both mental and physical. I wish little Lara all the best with her equine therapy! She is such a sweet-looking girl and so brave.

Joanne Reid, Co Meath