Photo Blast From the Past

10 years ago, in my bedroom, in a terraced house in Cork. My boyfriend is a dentistry student, which might explain the tooth paste on the mantlepiece. My bed is pushed up beside the blocked up chimney, so I can use the mantlepiece as a shelf. Fliers, posters, artwork, beermats, and college notes fight for space on the confused blue and yellow flowered wall paper. Brick phone at the end of the shelf, you never lose your phone in these days. I’m reaching for a cup of tea, which sits beside the two plastic alarm clocks. I’d bought one after giving mine away to a comedian who needed to get up for a train back to Dublin. The other was given to me by another comedian in repayment. I have my docks on in bed, no sheets, quilt wrapped around like a nest, I’m comfortable. A second cup of tea – probably belongs to the photographer. My jeans are too short, or my legs too long, there’s a gap of black socks. Off to Germany soon for a “many things” kinda summer, mostly fun, friendship, poverty, singsongs, lots of alcohol, sausages posted over from home.

An idea from Dominic Rivron’s blog – great idea, (pity the picture is so smudgy) – c’mon folks I’ve shown you mine, 200 words on a self from the past, told in the present tense. Go on – you know you want to...

Slippy Pole - the very latest

This is it - the sad scene, seen today at the slippiest pole in Dubland. First reported in this blog on 24th March, I updated you again on April 22nd when it had been named as a public emergency. I did not think I would have to update on this crisis again. The grass has grown so that, even in this very professionally taken close up shot, you can barely see the "caution slippery" sign that once fell victim to the slippiness of the pole. There is a path in behind the grass; I used to be able to see pedestrians on it. I'm worried that anyone who tries to walk along the path nowadays is being swallowed up by verge dwelling lions.

I will, of course, let you know if there are any developments.

One thing I never had when I was growing up

Here's a "chalk holder". You can buy them for a few quid. I had to hold my own chalk when I was young, and when I didn't have chalk I had to use the stuff that peels off the insides of some walls when they're broken up, and when no walls were being broken I had to use spit, or my imagination. But when I did have chalk(s) - the one advantage of not having a "chalk holder" was that I could switch colours almost instantaneously - instead of constantly having to reload my "chalk holder."

Ah happy days - any other useless things kids have nowadays that we're glad we don't have?

Ban the Ads

In Canada (did I mention I was in Canada? No? Well I was; as a matter of fact quite recently it was, why, only last week...) there was a big campaign on to boycott all puppy and kitten farms, an easy one to sign up to, I mean who wants to be presented with puppy steak in a restaurant? It'd be tiny (possibly in more ways than one).

I am starting an Ad boycott. Ironically in Can Ad a (see what I did there), they had very few ads. I mean no ads - when you were walking out of the plane and down to Customs/ passport control. No crappy catchphrases up on the walls speculating on what you're first text home will be, or what bank you should join, or worse - that your workplace should join. It was weirdly relaxing - I mean like - nothing foreign jumping through your brain, as you walk along, alone with your own thoughts, and your fellow travellers. It was cool. People aren't alone with their thoughts enough - I'm the world's worst to be always looking for diversion - see the length of the bloglist if you don't believe me (bet mine's longer than yours), but it is nice to sit and let yourself just float for awhile, leave your head alone to do it's own thing. It works better like that sometimes - just read Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, or Dorothea Brande's Becoming a Writer.

Anyway - Boycott all ads. Don't look at em - imagine you're a horse with Blinkers, say nay to the billboards, pretend those smiley feckers on the poles are all works of art or philosophers. Don't walk to the shops for coco pops just cos the monkey said you should. In fact don't buy anything at all in your weekly shop that you have seen an ad for. And most of all - drink Coca Cola (ok that's just a test - the last bit, to see if you've been paying attention though sadly there is such a beverage within my immediate vicinity and I probably now will sup it - Frailty thy name is woman!)

Blog winners

So here's me lovely award. Recieved with thanks from total feckin eejit - his link is over at the side - always worth a visit - and he has a decent music player in there as well! The award comes with certain terms and conditions as follows - so here they are

1. Post the award on your blog and link to the person who gave you the award.
2. List seven things you love. So...
1. Galway in sunshine on a bank holiday with kids having waterfights, and sipping wine in someone's back garden
2. When you get all the green lights
3. The Goldfishes - all three of them
4. The newly aquired husband - only one of them
5. Brilliant books
6. Crap books - cos they make me feel better about chances of publication
7. Friends, family, nice strangers, all of humankind

Finally,pass it on! List seven blogs you love and let those people know you’ve given them the award.Here are my Kreativ Blogger Award recipients!:

1: http://anghuianiar.blogspot.com/ An Ghuir Aniar - means west wind, and I'm not just giving him this because he's letting me use his laptop to write this, but because his is a very fine blog, and gives reason to try a bit at the aul Irish. Check him out.

2: http://domesticoubliette.blogspot.com Domestic Oubliette started her bloglife around the same time as me, so we're kinda the same age - hers is full of funny insights on life and the universe - well worth a visit

3: http://dramaqueen.blogspot.com Drama Queen is the queen of blogland and media mogul extraordinaire. Very entertaining posts.

4: http://huhtikuunnoita.blogspot.com/ Huhtikuunoita means Witch of April, her photography is great, and I love trying to figure out what it's on about

5: http://quotidian-photography.blogspot.com/ A cool photographer travelling in thailand - worth a look

6: http://theswisslounge.blogspot.com/ Swiss is pretty cool - always thought provoking

7: http://theblogsthejob.blogspot.com/ Uiscebot is always worth reading as well - a great writer, when he's not killing cute fluffy bunnies.

Copious amounts of smushiness - bucket may be necessary

How did it feel getting married? I hear you ask

Being terrified, shaking like mad walking up the church, dad at my side, calming me down by whispering "they're all looking at you"

The weirdness of seeing himself at the top of the aisle, after not seeing him since 8pm the previous night - felt like a life time.

The weirdness of not having a chance to talk really, or say hi properly, and him telling me he noticed the french manicure by holding up his hand during the first reading.

The bridesmaid after the service putting her heel through her dress, and it not mattering at all. The fashion show of all the friends and family walking out past us, shaking hands and hugging, and me saying "congratulations" to some of them cos it seemed like the thing to say - what everyone was saying.

The flower girl coming in the car with us back to the hotel, catching us having our first kiss since marriage, telling us we were allowed now, it was ok.

The feeling that we were lucky and blessed when the sun came out for every photograph.

The not eating dinner, and unholy terror when the gong went for speech time. The gush of smushiness on hearing all the nice things all the nice people had to say about me. The nearly crying as I returned the favour with an emotional few words.

The letting hair down dancing, singing a duet with himself, cheered on by the girls dressed as ABBA. The dancing to REM at the DJ bit, with my 97 year old grand aunt dancing away. (I have to switch to drinking bourbon - she's seriously amazing).

The other bridesmaid having a radiator "explode" on her dress, and it not mattering at all.

All the chats, feeling famous, and feeling such warmth and love etc etc.

The last bridesmaid leaving with her dress in perfect shape, and it not mattering at all. (I'm sure it has probably been covered in mud or set on fire by now)

Was it the best day of my life?

Nope - the best day was the one I met him.

Told ya it was smooshy... (hope you had the bucket handy)

In Summary - in summer

So, so far this summer, have got married, won a prize for my blog thanks to TFE (still a little unsure how to pick up/ display said prize, or when the presentation of prizes will be), volunteered at the Ottawa Tulip festival (which simply involved free admission to some live shows, including poetry, jazz, Klezmer, hypnotism, some undefinable but awe inspiring stuff as well- see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjrK2VGCoqs&feature=related) , visited the hippiest hippy town called Wakefield, then montreal, then boston, then niagara, then kingston - a little town on a lake that looks like the sea. I might some time expand a bit more on these adventures once I readjust to sunny dublin, but here in the meantime is a sneak peak at some of the cushions that made my last few weeks so memorable, (not in order of appearance)... I didn't have a cushions fetish before this blog - any of my friends will tell ya... actually I still don't

John Spillane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CpYELATeiI&feature=related


There was a Man

There was a man who took a wife
To walk beside him through his life
They walked through sunshine and through rain
They walked through pleasure and through pain
She wore a dress of yellow gold
She was a wonder to behold
And underneath a purple sky
She was the apple of his eye
And when the moon arose in flight
And stars went blazing in the night
They crept into each other’s dream
And slept beside a silver stream

They flew together through the air
And landed on a distant shore
They walked along a golden strand
They walked together hand in hand
She was not the easiest woman in the world
To get along with if you understand
But then again on the other hand
He may not have been the easiest man
But when the moon arose in fright
And stars went blazing in the night
They crept into each other’s dream
And slept beside a silver stream

The world will turn and the rivers flow
The sun will shine and the winds will blow
While angles in the afterglow
Will light their candles in the snow
There was a man who took a wife
To walk beside him through his life
They walked through sunshine and through rain
They walked through pleasure and through pain
She wore a dress of yellow gold
She was a wonder to behold
And underneath a purple sky
She was the apple of his eye

BH Revisited

"It's getting exciting now" has been the constant catchphrase of my mother, since the first engagement card rolled in, when we ordered the dress, when we booked the date, when relatives started announcing travelling plans, sometimes it varied to "It's getting really exciting now", but the progress of levels of excitement has been constantly re-evaluated, restated and announced, as the whole process has gone on.

I have to admit - now that I'm finally finished up work for three weeks, beginning to think about walking down the aisle, trying frantically to write a speech, thinking about what I need to pack - it is in fact getting exciting precisely ..... Now.

Some Pair of Tulips

Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrNpI0r7fa8&feature=related

Christian Bok is just one of the acts we've got free tickets into, as a result of our choice of honeymoon destination and I can't wait to see him! We're after volunteering to help out at the Canadian Tulip festival in Ottowa, so will be on hand to point out Tulips, or something, get free into some brilliant events, and hopefully meet lots of friendly locals, and get tips from them on where to go next.

If you happen to be a friendly local reading this, please feel free to leave a message here offering us accomodation, since we've only booked the first 4 nights. We'll take ye along to some of the concerts in return maybe? We've two tickets each, so there's an offer for ya anyway.