and so it is......

Let me begin by setting the scene.  The year was 2005.  I had just had the most amazing 10 days touring the UK with my mother, sister, brother and 2 of my sons.  My mom, Dalene and I had flown over to join my brother David for his 30th birthday and he had arranged a trip to Wales and down south of England for us.  Gareth was working in London and Matthew was on a gap year in Bristol.  Dalene flew home to her girls, my mother went touring and my great friend Nicky  (aka Louise or Thelma) flew over to join me for the last two weeks of my holiday...time with Matthew in Bristol, a week long tour through Ireland, back to Gareth in London and then home.  A wonderful month of awesome memories.

Nicky and I did a Paddywagon Tour for five days in Ireland and it was all we thought it would be...and a bit more.  

We had a crazy tour guide who managed to upset most of the older people on the bus with his music.  Not Nicky and I.  We loved his music and kept asking him which artist was playing and I made a list in my little black book.  The Blower's Daughter was obviously his favourite and we ended up knowing all the words because he played it so often.  

It has one of the best opening lines ever...."and so it is..............".  

Anyway what is the point of this story?  Before we left Ireland I had to go and buy this Damien Rice CD for "the boys".   I always have this sense of excitement when I think I may be introducing them to something new that they do not know and may perhaps enjoy.  

Not to be with "and so it is".  

I got back to Bristol to play Matthew the new CD.  He knew it ("not so new Mum") but did not really like it much. I pulled it out again in London to play for Gareth and he politely asked me to "put it in the box".  Back in Cape Town, Nic who was left "home alone" was probably the least impressed when I tried to "sell" it to him.  So "their" CD became my CD and it is still No. 4 CD in my car on the CD shuttle, 7 years later. 

Whenever this song comes on, I turn the volume up and sing along (if there is no one else in the car) and my mind and heart goes back to that wonderful week in Ireland, laughing and being crazy with Nicky, and the tattooed Irish tour guide on the bus who drove everyone else on the bus crazy with his music.

And so it is

Just like you said it would be

Life goes easy on me

Most of the time

And so it is

The shorter story

No love, no glory

No hero in her skies

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes...

And so it is

Just like you said it should be

We'll both forget the breeze

Most of the time

And so it is

The colder water

The blower's daughter

The pupil in denial

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes off you

I can't take my eyes...

Did I say that I loathe you?

Did I say that I want to

Leave it all behind?

I can't take my mind off you

I can't take my mind off you...

I can't take my mind off you

I can't take my mind off you

I can't take my mind off you

I can't take my mind...

My mind...my mind...

'Til I find somebody new

"And so it is.............."