When it rains it pours, literally.

It's raning it's pouring the Old Man is Snoring.

Rain rain go away.

I'd been putting this off as long as I could. But since we've returned to Kennesaw, we've had to face some pretty devastating news. Remember the disaster/emergency relief declared for the south last fall? Rains came down and hard, weaving a path of wet destruction for many. Including us. It washed out our roof, our garage, our car, and half the walls in our house.

No problem, I thought. That's why you buy insurance! So for the past few weeks, we've been waiting for the news from the adjuster. And let's just say, our new year didn't start with good news.

We were packing and sorting anyway, for a big move, but now life seems to be shouting GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!

But before we can get out, we're going to have to save our house, our roof, our car. There's no moving away from an animal this wounded. Tens of thousands of dollars in damages and I don't even want to tell you what All-State insurance company is offering. It's embarrassing and I'd rather focus on the positive.

And speaking of positive, we believe firmly that CRISIS is just OPPORTUNITY in disguise. So we'll use this as an opportunity to do something radical. We're going to learn how to ask for, and receive, help. We try to have at least one charity auction per year, and this year, we're the charity. Introducing, THE NOAH's ARK Duirwaigh Relief Fund. You can help any number of ways:

Adopt a new friend on ebay
http://stores.ebay.com/Duirwaigh-Gallery-Art-Collectibles

Donate funds to our relief fund on paypal:
www.paypal.com  - account: mernie@duirwaigh.com

Send us good mojo!

As many of you know, Duirwaigh has been a provider of inspiration for over a decade. We've created inspirational films, music, stories and projects --and labored to keep those musings available for free.

If we've touched you in some way, please consider us a friend in deed, who's now a friend in need. We thank you in advance for any and all kindnesses shown, great and small.

And hey! If you know a roofer, a repairman or a construction crew, send 'em over!

I'm back from Europe. Back from the edge of illness. Back from the bowels of holiday travel. But still dancing the line of sanity, thank you very much.

Though we wish we'd been able to update regularly, that's been the teensiest bit impractical. Let me spell it out for you this way:

Thanksgiving - Silas and I watch the Macy's parade from our living room couch in Taos where I am busy hacking up my left lung. Never found out if it was H1N1 or what, but it was entirely unpleasant.

Achoo!

Day after Thanksgiving we get a phone call from Silas's 94 year old grandfather. YES! He'll make the 9 hour drive down from his house in Northern Germany to meet us in Troestau, Germany. This throws us into a tailspin, as we'd just about given up our idea of getting to Germany for Christmas. But lo and behold! There are tickets to be had at the last minute, ebay sales going through to insure the purchase, all forces aligning to make the trip a reality.

*This gives us exactly 48 hours to pack for two weeks in Germany, as well as a month in Kennesaw, and a cross country drive both ways. Stay tuned.*

Cough. Splutter.

Two days later we're in the car with Meecie, Tink and Izzy, heading to pick up Mernie in Amarillo (too long a story, sorry) and head to Kennesaw. The plan is for Mernie to babysit while Silas and I have a Great Escape, and when we return to Kennesaw, to begin The Big Move. Total excavation of the Kennesaw property so that we can officially live in ONE location: Taos.

Mernie retrieved, we drive on to Kennesaw and spend the next three days recovering from the flu funk, which has now infested Silas as well.

Double Achoo!

December 4 - fly to Frankfurt

December 5-14 Time in Germany, a Christmas tour, and meet Silas's parents for the first time. Also spend the weekend with 94 old Grampa. THE JOY!

December 15-20 BELOVED PRAGUE!!!

December 21-22 Returning home via buses, planes, trains and many automobiles

December 23rd - ACHOO! Something foul found me on the way home.

Christmas to New Years - Second bout with flu while trying to pack and sort the Kennesaw house. No tree, no presents, not even a light or a carol. But we're together with loads of cardboard boxes and are embracing the warm vision of a new year.

Is it any wonder I've not been updating? This is the first time I've paused in over a month. And I think one deserves some kind of dewey button for two flues in one month. Think there's some kind of badge for that? I should look it up...

Anyway, just wanted to give you guys an idea of the utter FALDEROL that is my life. Stay tuned for many, many pix. I know I'm having fun, even if I can't remember it. I know, cuz I've got the photos and the red-haired girl in them is smiling!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(achoo!)

Happy New Year!

And to celebrate, Duirwaigh is moving, which means packing and sorting and SELLING.

You may be scratching your head. "Wait. Didn't they do this already?"

Yes and no. Let me clarify:

May 2008: First moving sale. Nine HUNDRED and eleven auctions on ebay. This was to clear the path in our home and gallery warehouse so we could actually see the floor and begin the real work.

October 2008: Second moving sale. Because once was not enough, and having seen the floor, we yearned to see the walls we hadn't seen since 2001.

Present day: Third and hopefully final moving sale. This should allow us to free up the house in Kennesaw for a new family. Sell it, rent it, no one intends to occupy this address any more. But this is not the end! While we may still have ties to Georgia for some time, our hope is to move all operations to Taos, New Mexico in 2010. (and someday Prague!)

Guess what? This means that for the third time in a year and a half we are up to our armpits in cardboard boxes, peanuts and bubble wrap. Fairies, goblins, dragons, nymphs, mermaids and trolls line up along the walls awaiting the journey to a new home. And this can only mean one thing: Ebay. Well, two things actually. Ebay and Craig's list, but you gotta be a Georgian for the latter.

There are three hundred and forty five items in our ebay store at the time of this writing. Stop by and peruse the aisles. http://stores.ebay.com/Duirwaigh-Gallery-Art-Collectibles

We've got rare and unique items there, as well as artist proofs of many of your favorite prints and cards from Duirwaigh's past. If you're not a member of our mailing list, you may wanna change that now. We've been known to offer our mailing list members extra discounts on ebay items.

If you don't see us again for a few weeks, take heart! We're here, we're just buried in all the goodness. That's me in the corner. I may be losing my religion, but I've found the tape gun and I'm not afraid to use it!