Grannymar

I am running late with my regular post today.  I’ll be back later to cover the glories of County Down.

In the meantime a view of Donaghadee Lighthouse form a small harbour in the County.

I’ll be listening for the doorbell.  You see I am expecting a delivery.

A Kindle Wireless Reading Device, but it is not for me.  There are books ordered for it too.

Normally being nosey I open the parcel  to check what is inside the contents are all correct and undamaged.  This time I was encouraged to open up the package and try to add the books.  Now, I do have a bundle of books already waiting to be collected.  I wonder if I could add them?

“Just put it into the wireless” says Yer Wan to me.

Why do I end up with the difficult jobs?  I am covered in dust from scrambling about looking for the wireless.  At my new advanced age, it is very difficult.

I found it!

But…..but…. how do I attach the Kindle?

That man Ramana is obsessed with keeping the LBC folk from any chance of mental stagnation.  Twice in three days he has produced topics to tax our thoughts and fingers.  Today it is:

Obsessions

I like neat and I like tidy.

I like everything to have a place and to be put back there when not in use.  I don’t consider it an obsession, it just makes sense and saves time chasing around looking here there and yonder when you need something in a hurry.  But that is a subject for another day.

To day I take you in a different direction.

The 1985, Obsession For Women was supposed to set the world on fire with its powerful sensuality. It revolutionized the prestige fragrance business with its feverish intensity and irresistible appeal.

By the end of the century it had a sister scent on the block - Secret Obsession.

Like the original Obsession, Secret Obsession is from the family of florals, but the two scents are not meant to be related in any way other than the name.  They don’t share anything much other than an amber-y base and an overtly sensuous character. Secret Obsession has a sweet, fruity opening but, without the sparkling and sheer pinkish berries of so many fruity florals of the previous years. The fruits are spicy and overripe. It may smell more grown-up than the older sister, but to me it’s a bit loud,  and for some reason reminds me of hairspray.

My personal obsession remains a beautiful and alluring fragrance that has a luscious blend of fresh cut grass, light fruit notes against a background of flowers and demure musk and sandalwood.

No I am not talking about the compost heap!

I’ll stick with..

I apologise for sounding so flippant at a time when we are all so conscious of the Tsunami that hit Japan earlier today and now as I type has hit the coast of Hawaii.  My heart goes out to all who find themselves in turmoil.

If you click to enlarge, Stormont the seat of our local Northern Ireland Government is visible way in the distance.  It is the white building on raised ground.  I hope that is not a storm cloud sitting above it!

I was asked to stop taking photographs by a car park attendant.  I asked why.  Do you want to hear his excuse?  I was beside a Police Station!!!!!

The nearest PSNI Station is Musgrave Street way to the right and round a corner.  No way could I even see it from the floor I was on. Jobs Worth. Huh!

For over a decade I have not wanted to know about my Birthday.  It had nothing to do with the advancing years.  No.  It was more to do with situations that happened on the date rather than the day.

On my fiftieth birthday I took Jack for a hospital appointment with his Consultant.  On arrival we were informed that the Consultant had been called away for an emergency situation and that we were to be seen by a member of the team.  Since the appointment was routine, we agreed.

It was the wrong decision.  The young Registrar that was assigned to us, was still wet behind the ears and had plenty to learn about dealing with patients.  With two sentences he took away all hope for the most positive person that I have ever met.

TWO SENTENCES!

They were offered in a throwaway fashion equivalent to: Two slices of toast for breakfast would be a waste, you won’t have time to finish the first one!  It was the only time I ever put in a complaint about a member of any medical team.  Thankfully it was taken seriously.

One year later on that day, I followed the ambulance as Jack was transported for admission to the Hospice for his final seven weeks on this earth.

In the intervening years I have tried to ignore my birthday.  Yes there were cards, phone calls, texts and gifts, but I accepted them through a vacant haze.

Elly managed the situation well.  Mother’s Day in Ireland often fell in the week of my birthday, so the card covered both and came on the latter.  Our gifts to each other seldom arrive on the particular day.  A birthday gift might arrive in February or in August; on occasion a large gift will cover birthday, and Christmas and that is how I like it.  An hour together or a chat means more to me than any gift.

This year for the first time I actually felt able to look forward and face the day.  I might even sing the Beatles number this evening as I sip a glass of wine.

My day was spent opening cards and gifts, talking with loved ones and friends and I have postponed the partying until next week to share with Elly and George.

Two items worth sharing:

A book from a friend with a sense of humour!

AND

My name on a list! I am humbled and honoured to be included.  If you nominated me or judged me fit to be there, I offer my humble thanks.

Being 64 is not that bad after all!

Roll on next week.  The cake is planned and the candles are counted…..

This cake arrived by email before breakfast.  Thanks Steph!

Do you think I need to book the Fire Brigade?

I have not stopped laughing since Darlene sent this to me!  Laughing is like jogging on the inside so I have had plenty of exercise, now I’ll just sit back and enjoy my day!

A new challenge for the Loose Bloggers Consortium.  Ramana send each of us the following enclosure and suggested we find a tale to suit it.  In order not to upset the regular Friday programme, he suggested that we try it out today.  I think that man needs a day job!!

You Choose The Title

Joseph, Finbarr & Alice in the Park*

Joseph was the chalk to Finbarr’s cheese.  They were separated in age by two years.  Alice sometimes wondered why she got herself mixed up with them.  Her life until that point had been a straight path, but now they were approaching a V in the road.  A decision was required to the question: “Right or Left”?

She knew where her heart lay.

Joseph was the quiet dependable type and he listened.  At least she thought he did.  At times he seemed to be in a different world as she told him excitedly about whatever it was that she had been up to.  If it was shopping and she showed him a purchase, he would tell her it was ‘nice’ or that the colour suited her.  He never really showed excitement.

Joseph; never Joe, was happy for her to make plans and arrangements for the theatre, dinners or visits to the cinema.  She noticed that her choice was usually respected and even if others were discussed, hers won the day.

Their backgrounds were very different.  She lived with her widowed mother in a small first floor apartment, in the centre of town.  He was part of a vast family. They lived in the suburbs with green fields and open spaces for neighbours.  He was the eldest and responsibility settled on his shoulders at a very young age.  Perhaps the burden of that responsibility dulled the view of life for him.  He never seemed to take things for granted.  He was grateful for every little kindness and in his own quiet way, made her feel like a princess.

Finbarr was very much in your face.  He was noisily spontaneous and full of fun.  You never knew what he was going to do next.  If he saw Alice about town, he would creep up behind her and throw his arms around her, pick her up and swing her around in a circle before setting her back on her feet again.  If sitting on the top deck of a bus with her, he would produce a book to read her a story - ALOUD!  He would hold up the book at face level, put his finger under each word and pronounce it like a child learning to read.

In the beginning Alice would blush bright red and feel embarrassed, but with time she learned to giggle along with Finbarr.   At the meal table he would check on the correct table manners from an etiquette book that he had been given in school.  He reminded everyone that it was bad manners to Slllllurp soup!   He cut bread into 1cm squares before masticating (found word in book) them one hundred times, or played dive bombers with cubed sugar.

On a bright summers day as Alice sat engrossed in a book while enjoying the sunshine, Finbar would casually walk up beside her and ask a serious question.  She did not realise that it was a distraction while he dropped a peeled grape or ice cube down inside the back of her dress.

Alice had a beautiful soprano voice and knew all the songs from the shows.  She was a regular for a principal role, in the shows performed by her local musical society.  Joseph had no voice to speak of, but Finbarr was not afraid to sing along with her and his actions for the romantic roles would have you in stitches.  Talk about course acting….

One evening Alice phoned Joseph.  She was feeling very excited and in a hurry to share her latest piece of good news.  As soon as he answered the phone she told him about the latest role that she had auditioned for.  The conversation moved on and they chatted happily for forty five minutes.

Suddenly she heard the voice on the other end of the phone say: “Alice, I think you better stop there and let me call Joseph. This in Finbarr and you don’t really want to tell me all your secrets. Do You?”

“OMG!” thought Alice.  “What have I said to Finbarr?  That is the last time I will ever phone that house.  I don’t know why I ever got mixed up with them in the first place”

Joseph came on the line and she ranted for a minute, but Joseph soon soothed her and she calmed down.

Alice did phone the house again, but was very careful to listen to the voice that answered the call.  You see Joseph and Finbarr were brothers and to her ear they sounded alike on the phone.  With the eventuality of gradualness Alice and Joseph were married and forty four years later they are still together and happy.

*Yes, it is a true story but the names have been changed.

In all things, be honest and appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life.

Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Don’t stand in someone else’s shadow when it’s your sunlight that should lead the way.

Learn the rules, so you know how to break them properly.  Laugh at your mistakes and praise yourself for learning from them.

Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.  Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon

Today is all that matters so pick some flowers and appreciate the beauty of nature.

Grated Apple and Almond Tart
Preheat the oven to 180°C

I normally do not give pastry recipes but today I make an exception.

Pastry Base:

8 ozs all purpose flour
4 ozs butter
2 ozs castor sugar
pinch salt
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons water

Mix in a food processor until it forms a ball.  Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.  Use to line 11or 12 inch pie dish.

Filling:

2 ozs toasted flaked almonds
3 or 4 eating apples, grated
juice of 1 lemon
4 ozs castor sugar
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

sprinkle 1 oz flaked almonds in pie dish.  Mix the grated apples, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and press into the pastry lined pie dish.  Sprinkle the remaining almonds on top.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.  Reduce the heat if necessary.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Belfast Part 2 and surrounding areas.

The Odyssey Complex at the Titanic Quarter, is home to the W5 exhibition, Imax cinema, sporting, concert, ice rink, and ice hockey arena.  It is home to the Belfast Giants.  Located on the bank of the River Lagan, it is the Northern Ireland Landmark Millennium Project and provides spectacular views of Belfast and the River and is only a short walk from Belfast City Centre.

The Ulster Orchestra was formed in 1966 and it has established itself as one of the major symphony orchestras in the United Kingdom. Its main concert season takes place in the Ulster Hall and the Belfast Waterfront Hall.

From its earliest years The Ulster Hall has played host to famous figures of the age; from Jenny Lind and Caruso to Charles Dickens and John McCormack, from Lord Carson and the Dalai Lama to Barry McGuigan and the Rolling Stones.

The Mulholland Grand Organ in the Ulster Hall, is named in honour of former Lord Mayor of Belfast, Andrew Mulholland, who donated it to the hall in the 1860s. It was built by William Hill & Son and donated after the hall was officially opened. In the late 1970s, the organ was extensively restored to Hill’s own original design.  During World War II, the Ulster Hall was used extensively as a dance hall providing entertainment for the US troops based in the province. Mysteriously, a shipment of American white oak planking arrived in Belfast to refurbish the dance floor.

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Bangor Road, Cultra, Co Down, is set in over 170 acres of rolling countryside, in the grounds of Cultra Manor.  This outdoor museum tells the story of life in early 20th century Ulster.  It is home to almost 50 exhibits that have been restored and authentically furnished. Visitors are free to wander through former Ulster homes, which include a thatched cottage, a rectory and a terraced house. A church, schoolhouse, water powered mills and many other buildings give a vivid picture of the past. The Transport  exhibits range from historic Titanic photographs to a 120 ton steel schooner, vertical take-off Short’s SC1 to a Belfast-built De Lorean sports car.   Together they form one of the largest and widest ranging transport collections in Europe - a collection that is of national and international importance.

The Hill family built the village of Hillsborough, starting with the fort in 1650.  It is a fine example of an artillery fort, but with pretty additions in the 18th Century.  The village is renowned for its beautiful castle, its fine restaurants and Georgian houses.  Many of the buildings in the village date from the 18th century. St Malachy’s Parish Church was built by the Marquis of Downshire between 1760 and 1774 in the hope that it would become the Cathedral of Down.  There is also a forest park with many walks running through it and a lake which is popular with anglers.  You can just spend a day walking round the village looking at the many beautiful and historical buildings, pop into one of the many village shops, to the coffee shops or even have a pub lunch washed down by a pint of the Black Stuff.   Hillsborough Castle is a late 18th Century mansion house used as a venue for government hospitality and to accommodate significant guests to Northern Ireland.  Members of the Royal family are regular visitors to Hillsborough Castle.

Crawfordsburn Country Park at Helen’s Bay is situated on the southern shores of Belfast Lough. It is full of variety, featuring 3.5.km of coastline, often rugged and rocky, the two best beaches in the Belfast area, a deep wooded glen with an impressive waterfall at its head, a pond and wildflower meadows with excellent views over the Lough. The Park also includes Grey Point Fort, a coastal battery and gun emplacement dating from early this century and updated during World War 2.
Nearby the Old Inn, Crawfordsburn is one of the Oldest Hotels in Ireland the perfect spot for a Victorian Tea beautifully presented in traditional old fashioned style for a little afternoon treat.

♣♥♦♣♥♦

Moving back through the City to the north side of Belfast Lough, and on to Carrickfergus.

Carrickfergus Castle is one of Northern Ireland’s most striking monuments whether you approach it from land, sea, or air. With over 800 years of history behind it. today it is open to the public.  Apart from its initial construction, there have been a number of alterations to the castle over the course of its history.  After use as a prison in the 18th century it was further strengthened and served as a magazine and armoury until 1928. Cannons from the 17th to 19th centuries are on show in the castle, while the keep houses historical and other displays.

Andrew Jackson Cottage at 2 Boneybefore, Carrickfergus, is the ancestral home of Andrew Jackson, 7th US President 1829-1837.  A US Rangers’ Centre, in the grounds of the Jackson Centre, has an exhibition on the First Battalion US Rangers, raised in Carrickfergus in 1942

Patterson Spade Mill at Templepatrick, is now in the hands of the National Trust and it is where you can hear the hammers, smell the grit and feel the heat of traditional spade-making. Guided tours vividly capture life during the Industrial Revolution.  You might discover the origin of the phrase ‘a face as long as a Lurgan spade’.

The historic Borough of Antrim retains much of its natural beauty and boasts a wealth of natural attractions.  Lough Neagh and its tributary rivers provide opportunities for water-sports, scenic walks and some of Northern Ireland’s best kept angling secrets.
Antrim Castle Gardens & Clothworthy House. Clotworthy Arts Centre was built in the 1840s as a coach house and stables for Antrim Castle. It was once the centre of a thriving farm and consists of an enclosed central courtyard flanked by two wings built in a neo-Tudor style. It has been restored as an arts centre providing exhibition and meeting spaces.
Shane’s Castle was the family seat of the O’Neills of Clandeboy. It has recently been sold.  The link will tell you about the restoration work.

Antrim Round Tower was built around the 10th century and is one of the finest of its kind in Ireland. It is 28 metres tall and was built as part of a monastic settlement.

Pogue’s Entry - this historic corner of 18th century Antrim contains the childhood home of Alexander Irvine, who became a missionary in New York’s Bowery and eventually pastor of the Church of the Ascension on Fifth Avenue. His book “My Lady of The Chimney Corner” recalls his boyhood years in Pogue’s Entry and describes the lives of Irish country folk during the post-famine days.

Cranfield Holy Well on the shores of Lough Neagh at Churchtown Point lie the ruins of an ancient 13th century Irish Church and St Olcan’s Holy Shrine. Within a few yards east of the church is a holy well, which provides fine spring water and amber coloured pebbles. Pilgrims who visited collected seven ordinary stones to count ‘the rounds’. They recited prayers and walked barefoot seven times round the church, dropping one stone at the door each time. This was repeated seven times around the well. When all the rounds were completed the pilgrim bathed in water from the well.

On a hilltop close to Doagh is a Bronze Age megalith known as The Holestone.  Couples used to promise marriage by clasping hands through the hole in the stone. There is a legend regarding a black horse that inhabits the field in which the holestone is situated. According to this legend a young couple were married at the stone, but the groom committed an act of adultery on their wedding night. For this act he was cursed by the stone to spend eternity as a horse, never dying, and never able to leave that field.

Nick this map of Lough Neagh looks like you can drive all the way round the Lough.