In early December we moved my sister and her family from Monkstown to Glenbrook, a mile and a half down the bendiest, narrowest and scariest roads you have ever seen. At the bottom of her new hill is a 15 foot retaining wall built from crushed rock. The only function of this wall is to stop the hill from sliding into the River Lee.

On our first trip up to her new house I opened my eyes just long enough to see something remarkable.

I asked her: "Did I just see a ham?"

Well, yes. It was most definitely a ham. And a nice sized one, too. For two days it sat all alone on the wall at the bottom of the hill. On the third day it was joined by a can of Red Bull. On the fourth day the ham was gone.

There's only one explanation.

Fairies.

Fast forward to December 22nd.

Just after noon today we made the daily school run and collected my nephews. Today was their last day of school before the Christmas break, and we'd made brownies for them to share with their class. As we passed the wall I yelled "PULL OVER!" Franny slammed on the brakes and before she could ask (although she knows better) I hopped out of the car.

I climbed up the wall and tucked two "None-Better Chocolate Brownies" into a little crevice, together with my best holiday wishes to the fairies.

All of this is a long way of saying that despite Eircom telling me that I'd have no broadband access until January 10th, at the earliest, I am now, officially, back online. Got the modem today. Plugged it in. And here we are...

None Better Fairy Broadband Brownies

Beat 6 eggs with 3 cups sugar.
Add 1 1/2 cups melted butter, 15 tablespoons cocoa, a pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix until all blended. Cook in a flat tin at 325 F for about half an hour. Serves 100 children plus 2 fairies.