Grannymar

I am busy with a Toyboy!

In the mean time why not call and welcome Magpie11 to the world of blogging.

Have fun.

Yesterday I read a Blog Post that brought tears to my eyes, joy to my heart and hope for humanity.  A journey where amazing diverse people from different nations and persuasions joined together in hope, all because of three little words: YES WE CAN!

To be American, last week, was a privilage.  To be alive to witness the dawn of a new beginning, tough though the journey may be to begin with, but by pulling together and working hand in hand Americans can show the world once more that it is a great nation.  YES YOU CAN!

My hope for the future is that the ripples of positivity will reach these shores.  Ireland is a beautiful place in all corners of the island.  If all the effort spent wasted in gurning (boy can people in Ireland gurn) and blaming the  Governments for all our faults & ills, was put into working for and improving our lot we too could have a country to be proud of.  YES WE CAN!

Who will be our new Obama?  YES YOU CAN!

Now go read A Journey of Hope!

Nancy, you will need two boxes of tissues!

Follow all the people who follow me on Twitter but….

There are only so many hours in a day.

I have a real life.

I need to cook and clean

I need to move, take exercise and rest my eyes from the computer screen

I have a blog to maintain and feed

So my solution is: If I don’t already know you, or your blog, or at least three people on your list of followers, then sorry not this time!

Learn about Facebook…

Again it is time consuming. I think had I realised what it was like at the beginning I might never have joined in the first place.

It is one thing to accept somebody as a friend, but when every single request requires opening yet another application – not my thing at all. I am not being rude but Facebook BORES me!

Be a Judge for the Irish Blog Awards…

I thought about it last year. I thought about it again this year but…

If on the off chance I am nominated, and there are practically no categories that I would fit neatly into, then it would rule me out of judging those. I have to admit that some of the categories I know little or nothing about, for example, technology, business and music, so they are out.

Then we have colour – that was the final straw for my decision to stay away. The blogs themselves are the problem. Black and some coloured backgrounds are a major problem for me to read. Today I opened a blog for the first time and I am sure the content was fascinating, but I was straining my eyes and the print was ghosting! I was unable to find where to comment to even inform the author of my difficulty because the print was so feint.

What is the point in going to the trouble of setting up and running a blog if people cannot read it?

I want to play my part, I owe it for all the fun I have had these past couple of years, but I would have Damien’s head turned, saying I cant’t see this one, or I know nothing about that subject…

OK I am no longer a youngling, and I do have a cataract forming in one eye, but I can still see and my eyes were tested recently and my glasses are fine!

I suppose I could offer an hour on the desk on the big night!

The voice trailed down the stairs to where I was sitting in the bright new kitchen.

Well it can’t be a bus fare that she wants, since she has a car sitting at the door. Would it be a needle and thread? She never has a needle and thread when she needs it. I heard the quick pitter-pad down the stairs and with a warm rush of air she was there across the table from me. I looked up with the unvoiced question on my face.

“I was just thinking….” said she.

When my Elly is thinking it is time to start worrying. She has done a fair bit of thinking over the years and you never know where it will lead.

“What were you thinking? I asked eventually.

“What do you want to do with your blog?” She asked.

“Why, what is wrong with my blog? I said looking worried.

“Oh, there is nothing wrong with your blog”. She said. “I mean…. I mean, have you decided what you want to happen to the blog?”

“Excuse me!” I said almost choking on my coffee. “What do you mean – happen to my blog? Sure you just told me it was fine as it is.”

“No mum, I mean afterwards…. When you are gone…. When you cock your toes!”

See! I told you her thinking was dangerous!

“Well I suppose you could put up a short post, to tell everyone that Grannymar has gone to Toyboy heaven and close the comments. There would be no point in keeping it going when I am gone.”

What do you want to happen to your blog? I bet you never thought about it!

We all love to get a letter. Nowadays they come in ones and twos and are usually bills that require payment. Recently the letterbox rattled. When I went to investigate there was one lonely item lying on the floor!

This letter was from Help the Aged and it began

Dear Friend,

It was unsolicited, a plea for money! We all get letters like these and particularly from September to Christmas. Charities are very slick nowadays at focusing their campaigns to hit the guilt spot as we begin to turn our mind to the annual spend-fest that Christmas has become. It is impossible to help everyone. Personally I decide at the beginning of the year which charity to support for the twelve months, so letters like this are torn up and thrown in the bin or fed into my paper shredder

As I opened this letter a page fell to the floor. Picking it up I saw that on one side was a picture of the reverse side of a photo frame with a sticker attached. I decided to read on…

Dear Friend,

This letter, as you’ll have gathered is about loneliness. I’ll be honest; I find it almost impossible to put into words how painfully isolated many older people feel, especially when all their friends and family have either moved elsewhere, fallen ill or passed away…..

The sticker explained why 1 is the saddest number. It is enough to make you weep!

Turning it over I found the front of the frame:

In the centre of the collage photo frame is a stereotypical image of an older lady; sitting in her high back chair staring into the distance. Around her instead of photos are little notes about the people whose pictures we would expect to find in such a frame.

1. Bobby my eldest is too busy now with his own family to worry about me.
2. My John passed away Christmas eve 2005.
3. Cousin Fred died heart attack 1998.
4. Neighbour Sue moved 200 miles away.
5. Elsie, 29 Palm Grove, Sydney, Australia.
6. David and the grandchildren moved up north.
7. Martha my sister is now in a Care Home.

It made me think! How many people are like this living alone and lonely?

I made a frame of my own:

It was not very different. A very dull sad life… You would almost feel sorry for me.

When I was young very often there were three generations in the one house. It meant that there was always someone to talk to and interact with. The younger generations asked for the advice of their elders and the elders helped with the children. Youngsters learned to deal with frailty and each generation learned from the other and relationships deepened and all felt needed.

Nowadays the older generation remains at home or goes into residential care. The young people move away to study, follow careers, and travel or start their own dynasty. The older generation become imprisoned not by other people but by aging bodies, stiff limbs and breathing difficulties.

This to me is a form of poverty.

Not cash poverty, but one of time and attention. The modern working hours leave little time to travel and check up on the older generation. OK so they probably have television, but how many times have you heard the phrase ‘There is nothing on, only rubbish!’ If you were forced to stay indoors for a week never mind for a year; how would you like to have TV as your only company?

There is a way to help the situation. To eradicate this poverty.

Encourage the seniors to use a mobile phone and a computer. Remember they will be slower than your average twenty-something to learn these skills so take things slowly. Be prepared to repeat instructions, drip feed rather than expect them to devour a manual for lunch. With patience they will see the benefit. Teach them to blog and or Podcast. It is the art of storytelling. It can become a project to record a family history for future generations. Life is constanty changing and the way of life for our parents and grandparents my sound prehistoric and unreal to us just like science fiction may seem unreal to them! With recording the stories on a blog or podcast the local phrases and saying will not be lost. With a podcast the voice does the work.

Stop and think… Do you know what you’re Great Grand Father sounded like, his accent, turn of phrase or indeed his language? Now is the time to think about collecting this ‘life history’ for your children and grandchildren, while the older generation are around. It will give the older person, particularly those living alone a feeling of being worthwhile and needed! While doing family research some years ago I discovered my Grandfather’s signature on a census form for 1910 - a year before my father was born! This grandfather died in 1922 and now I know what his handwriting was like, in fact it is exactly like my fathers! I treasure that copy of the census.

For my part blogging and the internet are a Godsend. I live alone with no relations for over 100 miles. With health complications there are times when I am unable to go out. On those days the world comes in to me through blogging and the internet. Blogging has become a conversation and an introduction to new friends who are as close as the click of a mouse. My life is far from sad, the world comes in to me with a great big smile!

Old age brings many problems, but it is also a time of great joy.

No! I am not writing a book or dishing the dirt on what happened on the couch with Twenty! We had witnesses and if I pay them enough they will say nuttin, right Conn? Steph?

I can report that there is an new addition to my family. The family of Toyboys that is. Another fine young man he is too. We met on that wonderful night of glitz & glam 1st March. He was so bowled over by me the enthusiasm of the bloggers that he raced home to take part in the fray. The result is AJ@Lecraic

Now Alan fell so deeply in love that night he wanted a permanent reminder, and the result of his labours can be found here:

http://www.lecraic.com/2008/04/27/irish-blog-awards-the-book/

It is an online book about the awards with a page for each of the winners. Alan wrote to all 21 of us, but you know how it is, people are busy and put things on the long finger. So this is called 1st edition and hopefully those winners unable to find their page can get in touch with Alan and the page will be added.

If you are feeling lazy Grandad has it on his site so you can flick through the pages quickly.

There is nothing better than friends coming to visit. Blogging friends are so much better. They come when you are ready to receive them, stay for as long as you wish and leave no mess behind for you to clear up.

Blogging friends won’t be aware of the six inches of dust everywhere, the fact you are still in your pyjamas with hair that looks like your fingers are stuck in the electric socket!

Now don’t start thinking that is how I am every day. I would hate to give you a fright, so I am titivated and elegant with not a hair out of place. Please don’t ask, I have no webcam. My beauty might blind you…

Now where were we…

Talking about my blogging friends. Once I have cleared up each morning, I like to pour a proper cup of coffee, pull up a chair and invite my virtual friends into my living room. I listen read what they have to say and then reply add my comments.

In a previous life (last year) Grannymar happily blogged away at Oldbones which was housed with Blogger.com. I we Elly suggested it was time to make a move to WordPress, so here I landed. Now you have to understand that my life is a series of “Mum try this!” or “Mum you need to install that!” It might be a verbal message by phone, a link by IM or an email. Don’t tell her I said it, but she is usually right!

So I use Firefox. Audacity, Levelator (thanks to Conn) and Windows Live Writer that I found myself and installed - I like it! The latest tekkie thing is something called Open ID. I was frustrated trying to leave comments on Blogs using Blogger. They seemed to want to control the world and insisted in giving the punters a Blogger ID.

Now this Open ID worked well to begin with, but now I find a problem with the first comment I leave in the day. I write my gem of literature, click on ID window and make sure my correct info is there, then hit publish and the whole thing explodes! Well to be correct I get a large blank page with a Google 400 Banner. It is a real slap on the knuckles to a little old lady like me. Anyone would think I was planting porn. I click on the back button and not alone is the comments box gone AWOL but the whole blog has gone as well. Now I have to remember to save that first nugget of wisdom until I am sure it has wound its way across the ether.

Am I the only one this happens to? What am I doing wrong?

~+~+~+~+~

Something rattled my cage this morning and poor Elly had to listen to me ranting on about it. I will share one quote I made, so you might understand how cross I was:

The F-ing Twenty Majors have only one round the houses number printed, and with all the 57 options there is nowhere to complain!

More strong coffee is called for…. on my way to the kitchen I discover a sideways flying bird has left a load of bird flu all down my dining room window! Ugh!

Should I go back to bed?

Nah!

I’ll go visit some Bloggers instead.

Chrisb from Ms Cellania had time on her hands at the weekend and succeeded in completing two memes. She saw her way to tagging me for the second one ‘7 things about me’. Alas several other folk got there before her. I did complete it the first time round and sidled away from then on.

The other one she did was to Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. Now that seemed easy, all you need is a good memory! Now I wonder where I put my memory. O.K. Elly, I hear you! It’s not in the airing cupboard, pantry or the cutlery drawer!

The Rules:
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given here (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like).
Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.
Don’t forget to read the archived post and leave comments.

I had a little drink…. and I had a little think…..I looked back through the pages through my old posts and tried to keep to the rules. Now with ‘Are You Cheerful?’ I could cheat and cover family, friend and Your Love with one post, but that is not really fair. I have to do this properly.

1. Family

This one is easy The Letter Box Clattered… and I have my friend Anne to thank for keeping a letter I sent to her nearly 30 years ago. It tells the story of the very beginning of my very special family.

2. Friend

This time I have chosen a Podcast Do you need a Hat, it tells the story of decorating a hat for a friend and it leads to a story from the past.

3. Yourself

The answers to Have you ever a quiz that Elly tagged me for, gives you some idea about me.

4. Your Love

Do you like Hallowe’en is the easiest to decide upon but it comes again as a Podcast it tells the story of how I met me sweetheart.

5. Anything you like

Who needs a Notebook is another Podcast telling a story from the heart of our kitchen about our kitchen table.

Right, there it is. Now how do I choose 5 people to pick this up?

Well the Irish Blog Awards are waiting for nominations so here is an opportunity for 5 Bloggers to remind us of their worth. Five names have a chance here, but I will pick only three to nominate. Come on sell yourself!

Coffee Helps

Conortje

Gingerpixel

K8 the Gr8

Primal Sneeze

Back last January in The Average Person I mentioned a radio programme on Radio Eireann.

‘I remember one school day as lunchtime approached and our thoughts turned to hot food and going home (mind you in those far off days we called it dinnertime) my chum asked me what day it was. She knew by the day of the week what was on the menu at home. I thought that this was crazy because we never knew until we reached the front door and a ‘Bisto Kid’ style aroma met us and made us drool! Friday was the only exception when we had fish. This varied with the season and it was still a surprise for us. The only things we knew for certain were that Terry Wogan graced the airways of RTE on a Wednesday with Hospitals Requests or that the Kennedys of Castle Ross had a twice weekly spot.

A gentleman called Ralph came across the post on 19^th September and asked if anyone could recall the name of the theme tune and also who performed it.

Being the gentle helpful lady ould biddy that I am, my request for help was answered yesterday!

Kieran Daly tells me that ‘The music is called The Fair Day. It is an excerpt from An Irish Symphony by the composer Hamilton Harty’. I do hope that Ralph is following the blog otherwise I have no way of letting him have the answer.’

The moral of the story is never give up! You never know when someone will come across a blog request and give a helpful answer.

Oh dear! How many times have I looked for a toyboy????

Will, my very own

invited all of us to take part in ‘Talking Shite‘ a project of donating a blog post ‘for inclusion in a book which would be sold in aid of bowel cancer?’

‘Would you be willing to donate time you already spent, to help give people more time to live? And would you buy the book? And get your friends to buy the book?’

I’m willing (excuse pun) to have a go, what about you?