Rural Rhymes

The Storm

By Brian Burns

I hear the lightning crash,

I see the car smash.

Some man got whiplash,

In the storm.

There is the sound of thunder,

Like it’s coming from down under.

And I start to wonder,

About the storm.

The hurricane is bad,

It nearly killed my dad.

He got quite mad,

At the storm.

The hail and snow is coming,

My fingers are numbing.

I hear the wind humming,

It is quite a storm.

Dark clouds are coming in,

The wind blows a man in a bin.

I try to ring

But I can’t in the storm.

I hear a girl scream with fright,

As lightning crashes at night.

It was quite a sight

In the storm.

Home Management Tip

Katherine O’Leary

During the Christmas season, we might have unusual indoor plants in the house. We might also have little people visiting! Note that some of the plants we bring into the house are toxic. One of them is the very popular Euphorbia Pulcherrima ‘Poinsettia’. It is a very popular Christmas plant. The lovely flowers are in fact coloured leaves. The red version is the most popular one. If the plant is damaged, it exudes a white sap, which is irritating to the skin, causing it to blister. The plant is poisonous and can make someone quite sick if ingested. Another plant that can cause someone to be ill is Solanum Capsicastrum ‘Winter Cherry’. It is quite popular around Christmas time also. It is recognised by its orange berries. Hyacinthus Orientales ‘Hyacinth’ are also common place at Christmas time. The bulbs are poisonous, so care must be taken to keep them in a secure place and away from children. Many house plants are irritants or poisonous, so do keep them away from children.

Growing wild

with Dr Catherine Keena, Teagasc countryside management specialist

Holly

Look out for bright red holly berries on female trees. Holly is the only native tree species where male and female flowers are carried on separate plants. While holly drops its leaves particularly in summer, it is one of only three evergreen native trees – the others being scot’s pine and juniper. The dense prickly, leathery foliage provides good roost sites for birds in winter. And now that we are at the 8 December, we can use holly as the most traditional Christmas decoration, as our ancestors did. Make sure to leave some berries for the birds such as song thrush and mistle thrush.

Number of the week – 12

The number of Irish creatives that we profile this

week. Ideal if you are still short a few Christmas presents.

Linda Schaefer's best-seller is her Wild Paper Studio monthly subscription box (€16.50/month)

Quote of the week

All parents are in denial about their kids, I’ve noticed that. Everyone loves their kids to bits. It’s the same with any child that has an additional need. You tend to bury your head in the sand hoping it will go away.

John Mulvihill in this week’s health article.

Online pick of the week

Siobhán Daly's “Duilleog” leather leaf earrings, both large and small sizes, are hugely popular.

In this week’s Meet The Maker, Maria Moynihan talks to Irish jewellery and accessories designer, Siobhán Daly.