Grannymar

While checking my Calendar, I realise a very special friend has a birthday today. In fact I have reason to celebrate a total of eight birthdays in the month of May and they are all Girls. I light a candle for each one in turn and think about them all through the day. I start on 4th and move on through 6th, 12th,15th, 17th, 21th, 23rd and 27th.

So gather round everyone and join me in the singing as we wish Many Happy Returns to:

Jen, Elly, Alice, Alice, Steph, Charlotte, Rose and Aline. May your day be special and remember that…

It is not how old you are, but how you are old. ~ Jules Renard

;)  I have given you a clue…  Now who can guess who has a special day today? 

Happy Birthday to my Baby.

The 6^th of May is for me a time of reflection. With each passing year there are more memories to ponder over. I think about all the things that Elly has accomplished over the years. From an early age she showed great promise and talent.

She became a sculptor

She learned to dance to:

She learned to cook

She became a bookworm

Became expert at Car maintenance

Carried out surveys

Became accomplished as a needle woman

With this wealth of talent George must have a very easy life

(pity we forgot to teach her to wash dishes;) )

As the year draws slowly to its close, we all regardless of age seem to look back over the events of the past year, remembering lost loved ones, re-live our celebrations, rejoicing over achievements, tiptoe past disasters and move on to plan for the year ahead.

At first glance sewing seemed to overtake if not punctuate my year at every available space. In fact it was actually a year of great variety. In March I attended the Irish Blog Awards in Dublin, where I had the opportunity to meet with other Bloggers with amazing talent. A week later I turned sixty and officially become a senior citizen.

Over the months many hours were spent talking to Elly simultaneously on the phone and internet working through suggestions, ideas and plans for the wedding.

Moving forward to May I was approached on Skype and asked to help a young man in Italy to improve his English. I almost said no, but now we talk regularly and I think at this stage he can be counted as a friend.

The Wedding in June brought family and friends from across the globe to help celebrate and witness Elly & George’s Special day.

The weather was kind and Elly looked happy and glowing in her outfit. She said that it was very comfortable to wear and gave her the freedom she wanted.

The train of her outfit was detachable and was removed for dancing.

The end of May was rather scary with an emergency trip to hospital but thankfully I have recovered, and learned yet again to listen to my body! By the end of September I had sufficient energy to attend Podcamp in Kilkenny. It gave me the opportunity to learn and share, while renewing old friendships and making new ones.

November saw the passing of Cherry the mother of my new Son-in-Law George. I know that with Elly by his side, and the love of his father and siblings to share the great loss, George will feel the smile of sunshine on his face once more and hear and enjoy the birds singing.

Back in July I quietly marked the 30^th anniversary of the day I married. Sadly, and not by choice, I have been alone for a third of that time. When Jack was alive our world was wonderful and I am thankful for warm loving memories.

The mention of marriage reminds me of a radio interview I smiled at over the holiday, an 80-year-old lady was the focus, because she had just remarried — for the fourth time.

The male interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband’s occupation.

He’s a funeral director,’ she answered.

Interesting, the young man thought. He then asked her if she wouldn’t mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living.

She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years.

After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she’d first married a banker when she was in her early 20’s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40’s, later on a preacher when in her 60’s, and now in her 80’s, a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She smiled and explained, ‘I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.’

Today is a special day for a very dear friend. None of you have met her yet you all know her!

I am talking about Nancy Leitz from Philadelphia , a very faithful follower and commenter of many blogs.

Today 2nd December is Nancy’s Birthday.

May I on my own behalf and indeed on behalf of all my fellow bloggers wish Nancy many happy returns of the day. I would like to dedicate the following little piece to Nancy.

‘The Beauty of a Woman’

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears

The figure she carries or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes,

Because that is the doorway to her heart the place where love resides

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole.

But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows,

The beauty of a woman with passing years - only grows.

Nancy, have a wonderful Birthday and I will raise a glass to you later today!

Count your garden by the flowers,

Never by the leaves that fall,

Count your joys by golden hours

Never when life’s worries call:

Count your nights by stars not shadows,

Count your days by smiles, not tears,

And on every Birthday Morning

Count your age by friends, not years.

20th September was a 1st Anniversary for me!

To be truthful it was the first Birthday of my Baby. Now Elly calm down and don’t get all worked up. There is nothing for you to be excited about. Relax and rest up after all that travel round Europe. I will talk to you tomorrow.

The baby I refer to is my blog. The very first post consisted of five lines. Today I could ask the same question “Am I mad or just insane? What would I have to say that would be of interest to other people?”

I suppose I have improved a little and from time to time amused the odd passerby.

There is one thing for sure, it is much more fun that I ever expected. I have made friends across the globe, spoken to a few and physically met several. I hope not to have made any enemies along the road. Granny surely you know I love admire Grandad and his easy way with words.

I am now at the stage of feeling guilty on the days when I fail to find the words for a post. It is now more important to read the work of my new found friends and laugh, learn and sometimes weep at the stories they have to tell. Thank you one and all for help, encouragement and faithfully returning to to leave comments.

I never for one moment thought I would last a month never mind a full year.

Cheers, thanks & hugs!

Over the past few months I have been naughty! Not really naughty, just a teeny-weeny, little bit.

I Grannymar am a Kleptomaniac!

You see I have developed a liking for reading other folks Blogs. They cover a wide spectrum and are not all listed in my Blogroll. Perhaps one of these days I might find the time to sort it out. So how can that be naughty?

I steal phrases or sentences I like. My collection is growing.

Today for fun I wondered if I used all of them what kind of post it would turn out to be. So here goes, and (((((HUGS))))))))) to everyone I stole from. See if you recognise a few words that belong to you:

#~#~#~#

I find myself in a strange space today as Mother Winter breathes crisp air into our my lungs, but my bathroom smells like a bucketful of barnacles that have been rotting for a week in the belly of a whale. There was no excuse for this, so I had to get down to some serious cleaning.

As I scrubbed I sang a little ditty to myself. At this stage I must confess that the only place I dare sing is in the bathroom. I didn’t ‘do’ music at school. Since I couldn’t carry a tune in my head, there was little point of me carrying a violin. As I sang croaked, my mind wandered to “Mushroom Meg”. In the town where I was born, bred and buttered, you were nobody unless you had a nickname! Mushroom Meg was at school with me, in fact we shared a desk. She called me “frost frogs”. Her granny who was German told her “This is the way people in Germany are called when they easily get cold!”

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Today I remembered something important! It was Mushroom Meg‘s Happy Mummmbledy-somethingth Brithday!

As we grew up she had all the signs of too much junk food and lack of exercise. She never realised that a tube of lipstick or the latest handbag and shoes can never make-up up for dry skin, dull hair lack-lustre eyes and a tired overweight body!

It is quite a few months since the last time we met for lunch; she had poor health for a year or two. I was afraid to hug her too hard because she seemed so very tiny and fragile. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. So I phoned Mushroom Meg with my usual birthday greeting: Yay for annual continuation days! (Birthdays) We talked of things we “coulda-woulda-shoulda” done, and she told me about her sister “Lucy Leek”

I can no longer hear the name Lucy Leek without becoming incandescent with rage about something or other. Lucy Leek has very strange ideas. She seems to think when you pay cash into a bank it goes in their safe wrapped up in rubber bands with your name on until you need to withdraw it again. Her attitude could use a little adjustment, when our dear Lucy Leek gets something into her mind hell and high water won’t stop her trying to force her ideas on her audience. I certainly could use a bit more patience with her.

So things are going stingingly in Funnymoon-land. Elly called to tell me she had an emergency trip to doctor as an insect bite has flared up badly. Thanks to the EU health card that we should all carry, the visit was free.

All the travelling reminded me of something I have discovered about a sense of place. It is that you can travel the country, seeing, touching, tasting, talking to people, participating in their community events and come to know something about each one.

The most important discovery of all, however, is that place truly resides within your heart and soul and memories.

As When the sun sets on this day, remember that God, in his infinite low sodium wisdom, loves you! And for what it’s worth- I do too!

I’m going to a Party. I was going to bring my friends. They might have fun. I know they want to go away for a few days.

Granny, Grandad & Sandy

I know Grandad has Whiskey I heard him boasting about it on a Podcast. If we are nice he might bring some. He makes some wild cocktails

Now for the cake:

Conortje have a good one!

Is it any wonder young people nowadays are so confused?